


Misconception

by Mariiie



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Related, F/M, Romance, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-23
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2018-08-24 02:39:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 33,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8353645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mariiie/pseuds/Mariiie
Summary: Misconception [mɪskənˈsɛpʃ(ə)n]'A view or opinion that is incorrect because based on faulty thinking or understanding.'
This word couldn’t apply more to the world Eunji was living in, yet she had no clue that her whole existence was a complete lie. What she thought she truly was was nothing from the truth. Where she thought she truly belonged couldn’t be much more of a lie. 
 
Once the revelations came, one after the other, by the interim of her biggest fantasy, she wished to go back to her sweet lies. All she wanted was to close her eyes so maybe she could wake up to realize it was all a dream.
But when you step into the light, as blinding as it is, you can’t return into the depth and comfort of the shadows, that’s for sure. She knew the truth, now, she couldn’t just play pretend. 
 
“It was nothing more than a misconception that she thought she was part of this world.”
 
She couldn’t ignore the fact that there are things in life one can’t explain.
That there is another place, an underworld, where there is so much more than meets the eyes. 
And, of course, she had to play a big role in it.





	1. Prologue

#  **Prologue**

 

**_“Because everything happens for a reason”_ **

* * *

 

“Eunji! Not so fast! Wait for us!” A small group of girls yelled her way, but Eunji was a stubborn 12-years-old girl, and if her friends weren’t fast enough for her, well it was their problem, not hers. 

 

“Just run faster! We’re almost out for summer!” She beamed, holding onto her backpack as it swung on her shoulders, the wind she was creating making her long, dark, and straight hair fly in the air. The corridors of her school were empty, only her loud steps echoing as she ran, doors lining on her left and right. She was closer and closer to her well-deserved freedom. 

 

That last year of elementary school had been rather troublesome for the young girl. Not only had she been picked on more than before due to the other kids getting old enough to realize she was different, but she also had developed the capacity to retort to them more crudely, which meant detentions and punitions for her bad behavior. 

 

She tried not to be affected by it, used to be the difference among an ocean of white people. Her parents -or the two people who had taken her from that terrible orphanage- were white. Everyone in her neighborhood was white. Everyone at her school was white. There were a few exceptions, some others with almond eyes and darker skin like her, but they were rare, which gave them the title of ‘atypical’. 

 

But then again, she was Eunji Kang. She was an Asian among the Americans, but she was unique in her own way and she was proud to be. Plus she had a couple of things she could brag about whenever people were picking on her. 

 

“Oh, really? Well then let’s see who gets to the tree first, uh? The fastest the coolest!” 

 

“Well, at least I don’t need any glasses to see the world around me!” 

 

Needless to say, she found herself staying later after school a bit more than she wanted to, and the last day of school wasn’t an exception. She found it incredibly unfair, but she had a couple friends who were willing to accompany her before heading to one’s home for their little group’s pool party. 

 

It had been quite hard for her to make friends in such a hostile environment, and her behavior wasn’t really welcoming either, but not everyone had considered her physical differences. If she was rude toward anyone criticizing her foreign traits, she still wouldn’t forget the ones who made her entry in the scholarship world a bit less disappointing. 

 

“Just slow down a bit! There are still teachers in the school! If you get caught again, we’re leaving for the pool party without you!” The slowest shot at her, making Eunji roll her eyes. After a couple seconds of thinking, she finally slowed down a bit until she stopped, looking behind her and frowning as she realized the girls weren’t behind her anymore. 

 

“Well…” She mumbled to herself, silence filling the hallway once again. She scratched the back of her neck and pouted. When she caught her breath and looked toward the door, she simply shrugged and started walking again before stopping abruptly, the sound of some random chatting coming her way. 

 

Which was weird, considering it seemed to come from the slightly opened door in the hallway on her left, at the other end of the corridor. 

 

A small frown covered Eunji’s face as she took hesitant steps toward the said door. The sounds were getting a bit louder as she came closer, but she was still wondering how it was possible for her to hear this much from this far. Were these people yelling? 

 

She finally got in front of the door, noticing it was the director’s office. Quietly, she peeked through the small gap, watching as the school’s director was actually talking with a low voice to someone she had never seen before. The stranger was rather tall and imposing. Just by the way the director was acting in front of him, it was clear the man was intimidated by the latter’s presence. He was wearing a clean dark blue suit, probably made perfectly for him. On the left side of his jacket was pinned a small flower Eunji had never seen before. The oddest yet most surprising flower ever. 

 

The tiny stalk was a bright green color, a leaf just as green hanging under the large petals of the flower. Its center was a mix of pink, red and orange, which was rather uncommon for a flower, but what hit the most was the yellow, blue and dark green petals opened so beautifully around the center. 

 

Eunji might have been only 12 years old, but she knew flowers usually didn’t have green on their petals. It was making it so pretty, though, and alive, too. It wasn’t fake. 

 

The girl continued exploring the stranger’s feature, trying to associate his face with someone she had seen before since the city she was in was rather small, yet the man was completely unfamiliar. His skin was white and his short and fancily placed hair a dark brown color. He probably was just another American like any other, yet there was something different with him. Something she couldn’t put her finger on.

 

She stared some more at the stranger’s eyes, completely ignoring the two men’s chatting that had become a bit more active. She was captivated by their dark brown color until they suddenly changed, the man’s irises becoming a bright golden shade. 

 

Eunji gasped, startled by the sight and stepped back, losing her balance and her bottom hit the floor with a loud thud. The room she was peeking in became quiet. Way too quiet.

 

The silence was thick, the girl’s breathing stopping as she tried to hear if any steps were coming closer to the door. If she was getting caught by her director peeking in his office, she could say goodbye to her pool party. Falling made her move aside and she couldn’t see in the room anymore. She wanted to stand and run, but she opted for staying as quiet as possible, listening for anyone to come and catch her in the act. 

 

“Eunji! What are you doing there on the floor? The door is the other way, dummy! We thought you were long gone outside already..” Kaithlyn, one of her friends, yelled at her from the intersection of the two hallways, a frown on her face. Eunji’s other friends popped in her sight, all looking at her worriedly. 

 

“Did you fall or something? That’s for running so fast!” Another said, going her way and helping her stand back up. Eunji thanked her and brushed the dust away from her skirt, looking at her friend. The chatting in the other room started again, the two people seemingly forgetting about the girl’s presence, or simply not paying attention to it anymore. 

 

“Ugh, it’s so quiet here! Come on, we surely are the last ones in the school. I can’t wait to be away from here.” Her friend added before taking her forearm and bringing her back to the right corridor. So quiet? What about the stranger and their director in his office? Wasn’t she hearing them? 

 

Eunji shrugged it off, preferring to keep her mouth shut not to upset her friends even more. She followed them out of the building and to one of their houses, the sun shining brightly and showing just how of an amazing summer vacation they would get. 

 

The stranger’s golden eyes didn’t seem to want to get out of the girl’s mind, though, and it bugged her to no end. She kept seeing them in her head, how they had changed from their deep dark color to the sparkling yellow. Then she would see the man turning his head to look back at her, but she knew this part was only from her imagination. She slipped out of their range of view fast enough. He couldn’t have seen her, could he? 

 

Either way, none of that matter was her concern anymore. It was clear and limpid that she wouldn’t dare put a foot on that school’s yard anymore. Not ever. 

 

***

**_8 years later_ **

 

Baekhyun bowed to the fans along with all the other band members as the public, a sea of bright lights, cheered and screamed the boys’ names over and over again. They had just played their encore and the concert was coming to an end. They all moved in their line, watching each other with a bright and proud smile on their face as they bowed again. 

 

“We are one, we are EXO! Thank you everyone!” Junmyeon screamed in his microphone and the fans went crazy, screaming desperately, asking for more, but unfortunately the nine boys exited the stage, not without bowing again and waving at everyone. 

 

Baekhyun sighed and removed the sweat from his face as soon as some staff lady brought the tired boys some towels before taking their microphones. They were redirected to their room, several staff members bowing at them and congratulating them for the amazing show. They all bowed back and thanked them, and once they arrived at their room they all cheered before going to do their own stuff. 

 

Baekhyun reached for his phone, noticing a couple messages from a private number and he frowned. He looked at the other members before making his way to their small bathroom, closing and locking the door behind him. He sighed and fixed his messy and wet light brown hair a bit, listening to the first voice message. He frowned even more as he heard the familiar voice and cursed under his breath. This clearly meant no good. He closed his eyes, pressing his ear on the door to make sure the members were busy enough not to hear him before going through his contacts and calling one of them. The automatic voice answered in a matter of second. 

 

_ “Hello, the number you’ve dialed is not listed or does not exist. Please make sure you’ve entered the right number and try again. Thank you.” _

 

Baekhyun waited for a couple seconds, tapping his feet on the floor out of impatience. Once he heard a quiet click normal people wouldn’t be able to hear, he spoke in a faint whisper not to get caught in a perfectly understandable English.

 

“Baekhyun Byun. Code 644703925. Please redirect me to my mentor.”

 

There was another quiet click sound and the noise of a phone number being dialed.

 

“Jack Harlow, how can I help you?” A voice resonated through the phone after the second ring and Baekhyun closed his eyes. 

 

“It’s Baekhyun. You called m-” 

 

“For fuck’s sake, Baekhyun! I’ve been calling you numerous times and you’re not able to answer any of my calls? What in the world were you doing?!” The voice yelled through the phone and Baekhyun made a face. If his mentor wasn’t so.. temperamental, Baekhyun probably wouldn’t feel like spilling a snarky remark at him every time they spoke to each other. He groaned and rubbed his sweaty forehead. 

 

“Well, you know, when you’re an internationally known idol, it’s quite hard to be able to answer a phone at any time of the day.” He mumbled with a sarcastic tone, opening his eyes again to look up at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes were a bright gold color. 

 

“Ugh, whatever. Anyways, you need to be in Anis as soon as possible, there’s something going on and we need you to do something. You’ll have to stop your activities for a bit, you’re being relocated in a few hours.” 

 

Baekhyun frowned at the sudden information. “Relocated? Are you fucking serious? We’re on a tour, Jack, I can’t just let my  band mem-”

 

“Baekhyun. I want you in Anis in less than an hour, you hear me?” The tone his mentor used forced Baekhyun to calm down and he groaned, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, they were back to their normal brown color. “Do you understand what I say, Baekhyun?” Jack insisted and Baekhyun only held onto his phone tighter, almost breaking the device. 

 

“Yes. I’ll be there in fifty minutes.”

 

Baekhyun hung up right after that, putting his phone in his pocket and staring for one last time at his reflection in the mirror. He fixed his hair again, putting back a smile on his face before exiting the bathroom, his mind running to find an excuse to be absent for the next upcoming concerts. His superiors at Anis would surely hear about that.

 

***

 

Ten minutes after the call, he was having a talk with Lee Soo Man. The CEO knew about Baekhyun’s getaways and it was a blessing the man had these same golden sparkling eyes. They managed to find an arrangement, making up a few excuses as to why Baekhyun would be absent for the next few concerts and another twenty minutes later he was in the jet to Anis, nervously fidgeting with his phone during the flight. 

 

If you’d have asked a human about Anis, none would have known that it was an island located right in the middle of the Pacific Ocean where a few thousand of Baekhyun’s kind lived without the humans knowing. They didn’t really have a name different than humans since they weren’t so different from them. The only difference was that they could see things humans couldn’t, and by these things they meant their whole country, as well as themselves. 

 

It was still a mystery among them, the fact that they couldn’t be seen by humans at their birth. It was also a mystery as to why they had developed some powers humans hadn’t. Being a minority, a good, not one seeking for power, they decided to move to the only place humans didn’t know about, and wouldn’t ever; their home they called Anis. 

 

People from this species would inevitably spend their childhood in Anis, learn how to use the powers they were given and, most importantly learn how to be able to show themselves to humans. By the end of the year, in December, there always was a huge ceremony for everyone who had turned 18 through the year, a well-known party where all the newly adults would choose where they wanted to spend the rest of their life: 

 

Among humans, with the promise to never abuse their powers, or among their kind in Anis, where they would need to work hard for their survival. It was a hard choice for a person of 18, but it had always been like this, and it wasn’t going to change anytime soon. 

 

Some of the ones who had decided to go live with humans, like Baekhyun did, could be called at any time and asked to keep a constant contact with Anis in case emergencies had to happen in human society. It was, in a common way of speaking, an offer to become the eyes of Anis between the common mortals. These eyes would have a mentor chosen for them with whom they would develop their powers to a bigger extent and would be contacted at any time for missions of various kind. 

 

And that’s exactly what Baekhyun had been called for. Except, this time, it seemed quite more important than what he had faced before and he started wondering why in the world it was him who was chosen for such a job. 

 

Exactly fifty minutes after the call, Baekhyun was walking in Anis’ government building and he soon spotted his mentor with one of the superiors. It wasn’t hard to spot the dark blue suited man and his mentor within the completely white room. He made a face, the corner of his lips twitching and in a matter of second he was standing in front of the two men, bowing down to them before looking up again. Harlow and the superior gave him a faint nod before his mentor brought him deeper into the building, the superior watching them as they left. 

 

Jack held onto Baekhyun’s arm as he brought him down to his office, closing and locking the door once Baekhyun was inside. The man, who looked like he was in his mid-forties, was probably a hundred years old or so -some people were granted with better powers than others. He was a bit smaller than Baekhyun, but it surely didn’t mean he was weak. The man was known for his fist fights and sword handling skills. Of course, his won tournaments had been decades ago and his body had weakened and taken weight with the time, but he was still one not to mess around with. Baekhyun had been rather quick to learn that.

 

The man’s shoulder-length dark gray hair were all over the place as he bent down to look in a shelf of his desk for some electronic tablet. He mumbled some incoherent words before motioning Baekhyun to come closer and the boy did just that, sitting in one of the comfortable couches in front of his mentor’s desk, who continued moving his fingers around the screen of the tablet. 

 

He soon let out a small ‘ah!’ when he found what he was looking for and went to sit beside Baekhyun who straightened up, looking at the screen and frowning as he saw the picture of a young adult. She was, no doubt, Korean, and Baekhyun looked up at Harlow. “Who’s this?” He asked curiously since the face wasn’t familiar at all. His mentor cleared his throat, moving his finger across the screen and some text appeared. 

 

“Eunji Kang, 20 years old. She is your next mission!” Harlow almost beamed, sounding excited. It was the first time Baekhyun was seeing the man so happy about something so ordinary. The youngster frowned and took the tablet, reading the small amount of information they had on the girl.

 

“She’s Korean, so she probably lives in Korea. Why do I need to be relocated?” He asked and Jack was quick to take back the tablet, sending Baekhyun a look with his sparkling golden eyes that clearly meant ‘you should let me explain before asking foolish questions’. 

 

Baekhyun rolled his eyes and his mentor started explaining everything, including the fact that she didn’t live in Korea, but in America. The more he spoke, the more Baekhyun’s eyes widened in surprise. “Are you sure of what you’re saying? This never happened before, I don’t even think this is possible. How could she live her whole childhood away from here?” The younger mumbled, leaning down to have a better look at the girl’s photo again. She looked.. so normal. 

 

So  _ human _ .

 

“This is exactly why I’m sending you there, Baekhyun.” His mentor started, scrolling down through the text. “It is very important that she returns to where she belongs. If other people ever learn about this, people with bad intentions, this could become incredibly dangerous...” 

 

Baekhyun made a face of disgust and stood, wiping his pants as if dust had time to stain the fabric. “Can I refuse this? You know I’m not the most skilled around here, and that’s clearly not my type of mission. I never asked to be killed, and that’s definitely a suicide mission.” He said quickly and his mentor stood, frowning and staring down at him. Baekhyun felt the lecture coming and he groaned, raising his hand in front of the man so he didn’t even need to speak. 

 

“Fine, no need for the harsh words, no need for the ‘that’s not of you to decide, Baekhyun’. Yeah, yeah, I know, it’s the council, it’s my job. Fine, whatever, I’ll go kill myself.” He mumbled and moved to turn around, though he quickly felt Jack’s strong grip on his shoulder. 

 

“If you dare to scamp this mission, Baekhyun, you’ll be more than dead, you know that. There’s more than just your life at stake, here. During our years of training, I never showed you how to give up. I showed you how to get rid of everything that gets in your way and pursue your goal no matter what, and that’s exactly what you’re going to do with this mission. Am I clear, Baekhyun?” 

 

The man shivered, hating whenever Harlow said his name with this powerful tone that made the younger agree no matter what. It was the power a mentor had on his student, and there was no will that was strong enough to say no to a mentor’s order, so Baekhyun could only look down and nod.

 

Jack smiled proudly and patted Baekhyun’s shoulder, the smaller wincing a bit at the strength of the pat and he sighed, looking up at his mentor. “I’ll do my best, Jack, you can count on me.” He said, his gaze strong and serious, his golden eyes sparkling in the dim light of the room.

 

“Good, boy, now go. There’s a jet waiting for you on the other side of the building. You’re leaving for America!” 


	2. Chapter 1

#  **Chapter 1**

* * *

 

Baekhyun bowed to the fans along with all the other members as the public, a sea of bright lights, cheered and screamed the boys’ names over and over again. They had just played their encore and the concert was coming to an end. They all moved in their line, watching each other with a bright and proud smile on their face as they bowed again. 

 

“We are one, we are EXO! Thank you everyone!” Junmyeon screamed in his microphone and the fans went crazy, screaming desperately, asking for more, but unfortunately the nine boys exited the scene, not without bowing again and waving at everyone. 

 

I whined and closed my laptop, leaning my head back and groaning in frustration. Living on another continent, far away from my babies had never been easy, and having to wake up by 4am on a school day was one of the many sacrifices me, Kang Eunji, had to do in order to feel at least a bit closer to my idols. 

 

It wasn’t rare for people who knew about my passion to ask me: “Why the hell did you move in here if you’re still in love with your Korean dudes?” to which I needed to explain that yes, my name did sound incredibly Korean, though it didn’t mean I was born there and moved afterward. I didn’t know anything about my parents, actually. I was found in front of the door of an orphanage a few days or weeks after birth with a blanket and a pendant around my neck with a name on it: Kang Eunji. The people at the orphanage took this as my name and my small eyes, skin tone, and dark and straight hair only confirmed the origin of my name. 

 

And there I was, 20 years later, fangirling hard over one of the many groups that had ruined my life. After a few other whines and complaints, I stood from my bed and turned on the light of my small bedroom, changing into some clothes before heading downstairs to get ready for my only class of the day. 

 

Living as an orphan isn’t the easiest way to grow up, but I managed to survive the first 18 years of my life and, as soon as I got into university to study, first in sociology and then in Anthropology, I found a way to move on with my life, found a few friends who were willing to do the same and we rented a small apartment near the campus we were studying at, escaping from the rules and curfews of our severe parentals. 

 

It wasn’t a surprise when we realized how messy we all were but it didn’t seem to cause many problems. As long as we didn’t bring any insects in with our garbages, everything was fine. 

 

I ran down the stairs with my bag on my shoulder and my purse in my hand, heading to the kitchen. I immediately took out the peanut butter and bread, not even bothering to toast the piece of bread before taking a bite while searching for a clean spoon around the sink. I dipped it in the peanut butter before putting it in my mouth along with another piece of bread. One of my friend came downstairs as well, her hair a complete mess and I greeted her with my usual greeting-with-my-mouth-full-of-food, to which she responded with her ‘morning’ that sounded more like the growl of a zombie. I eyed her as she took my spoon, stealing a good amount of peanut butter from the pot before putting it all in her mouth. 

 

I continued watching, holding my laugh as she walked back upstairs. “Hey, don’t forget it’s your day to wash the dishes, mmh?” I reminded her with a small smile and she simply groaned. Typical Kaithlyn. 

 

I rolled my eyes and took another spoon of peanut butter before throwing the utensils in the sink and heading out of the apartment, locking the door before heading out to class. 

 

It was quite sunny for the time it was, but then again, summer was arriving quick and I smiled a bit at the thought. Summer meant holidays and no school, summer meant road trips with friends and parties. Though summer also meant finals coming. I lost my smile at that thought and let out a small groan, holding onto my jacket tighter as I made my way around the busy streets of the city. I tried convincing myself today would be a good day, though my mind wasn’t that convincing. I only had one class in the morning, which meant I had the whole afternoon to do whatever pleased me. The thought managed to bring back a small smile on my lips and I walked a bit more enthusiastically on the street walk to the campus.

 

***

 

I sat in the rather small auditorium, taking out my notebooks and looking around the almost empty room. I was a bit early, so I took the opportunity to rest my head on my arms and close my eyes, trying to catch on the sleep I didn’t have in the morning. Being rather tired, it was easy to drift off to an almost asleep state and I smiled a bit as I started imagining EXO suddenly barging in my class to rescue me from this horrible lesson that awaited me.

 

I was brought back to reality as I heard the teacher’s annoying voice echoing in the room and I groaned inwardly, looking up and noticing the room had filled up quite much since the last time I had my eyes opened. I looked up at the clock and my eyes widened: it had been 30 minutes since the class had started. I sighed and took my pen, trying to understand whatever the teacher had written on the board for the first part of the course. I noted down the most important things, telling myself I’d simply ask someone in the class afterward for some explanations. As I continued writing down everything the teacher was saying, I heard someone’s steps coming in the class and I chuckled silently, waiting for the old man’s lecture about arriving late to class to begin…

 

Though it never came, and the steps stopped rather early. The person didn’t move to sit down and the teacher continued speaking as if nothing had happened at all. I frowned a bit and finally looked up from my notebook, my eyes widening as I did so. 

 

None other than  _ Byun Baekhyun  _ was standing there, right in the middle of the class. His eyes were searching for someone around the students and when they fell on mine we both froze, keeping the eye contact. My eyes stayed wide while a smirk appeared on his face. 

 

I was probably hallucinating. Of course, I was, or else someone else in the class would have noticed the stranger near the board. I looked around, just to be sure no one was looking at the front of the class weirdly, but everyone had either their eyes on their notes or on the teacher, none paying attention to the Korean idol standing there and smirking at me. 

 

Baekhyun crossed his arms over his chest, his smirk not once leaving his lips. I felt like screaming, both of intense fangirling and of fear because that was it, I was going crazy. I bit onto my bottom lip hard and looked away again, looking down at my notes before closing my eyes tightly and repeating to myself that  _ no, I’m not crazy, of course, I’m not crazy…  _

 

I heard someone chuckle and step closer and I only closed my eyes tighter. Baekhyun finally spoke, not even bothering about waiting for the teacher to stop speaking because, who cared, it’s not like anyone else could have heard him anyways. 

 

“I’ll guess by the face you gave me earlier that you probably know me. So, you’re a fan? I’m flattered, really, but I expected a bit more screaming and squealing from you. Are you scared to embarrass yourself in front of all the students?” He said and laughed, hands sliding in the pockets of his jeans. His English was perfectly understandable and that only gave me another proof that this was just my imagination playing with me. As if he had heard my thoughts, Baekhyun frowned and scoffed. 

 

“No, I’m not a hallucination or anything, I’m pretty real. And quite in a lack of time, if you’d ask me, so it would really be appreciated if you excuse yourself to the old man here and follow me so I can have a talk with you.” Baekhyun said quickly, pointing at the teacher with a slightly disgusted face. I frowned at that, still staring down at my notebook and trying to get whatever the said teacher was teaching. My lack of sleep really affected me, it seemed, and I shook my head to the hallucination -I didn’t know why I felt the need to do it but I did so anyways- and tried to stay focused on my work instead. Hopefully, it would disappear if I stopped looking at it. 

 

Baekhyun quickly noticed I wouldn’t cooperate and he let out an exaggerated sigh. “I can’t believe I’m skipping the rest of our tour for this…” He mumbled to himself before walking toward the seats. I didn’t even dare to look up at all, so I was quite surprised when I felt two hands landing on my shoulders. I yelped, biting my lip not to be too loud and I took a shaky breath, trying to calm my pounding heart down.

 

_ He’s just a hallucination, it’s my brain playing with me. Or maybe it’s just a nightmare and I’m going to wake up and- _

 

My train of thoughts was stopped suddenly when the two hands on my shoulders moved down to my upper arm, their grip tightening and with a force I never thought Baekhyun would have, my hallucination -or what I started thinking it wasn’t anymore- lifted me up on my legs and this time I did yelp loudly, attracting everyone’s attention in the class. 

 

“Miss, is there something wrong?” The teacher asked me and I swallowed thickly, looking around the auditorium filled with students who were looking at me with a frown. I thought I was going to die of embarrassment, my whole face reddening. I was about to sit back down and tell everyone I thought I had seen a spider on my desk or something, but Baekhyun’s grip stayed on my upper arms and I bit my bottom lip before hearing Baekhyun behind me sigh.

 

“Why don’t you make it easier for the both of us, uh? You’re going to stop messing around and tell your teacher you don’t feel well so you can just walk away from here, did I make myself clear?”

 

I gulped again and looked down. “I-I don’t feel quite well, I’ll go take some air outside.” I mumbled, licking my lips and before I could move, Baekhyun spoke again. 

 

“Take your purse with you, you won’t need the rest.” 

 

I imagined it was better if I listened to him and I took my bag before hurrying out of the class, feeling Baekhyun’s touch lingering on my arm even though I knew he had removed his hands once I started walking out. Everyone had their eyes on me and I looked down, this time quite convinced I was going crazy. 

 

When I closed the door behind me I felt Baekhyun’s hand holding onto my arm again, this time with a much tighter grip. I winced as he dragged me around to the closest exit and I frowned, trying to get free from his hold. He stopped, annoyed, and looked back at me, raising an eyebrow. 

 

“Where are you bringing me? What are you, even? Why are you here? Wh-” I started, more and more questions getting in my mind but Baekhyun stopped me before I could continue. He raised the hand that wasn’t holding my arm in the air and he sighed, closing his eyes.

 

“First of all, stop asking stupid questions.” He mumbled and looked up at me. His eyes were a bright yellow and I gasped, stepping back. He chuckled a bit at my reaction and stepped closer. “Secondly, it’s not of me to answer any of your questions, my job is just to escort you where you belong.” 

 

I raised an eyebrow at that and scoffed. “Escort? That’s more of a kidnapping to me!” I retorted, tugging on my arm until he finally let go. “Why couldn’t people see you back in class? How do you want me to believe you really exist? Heck, I must have looked so fucking stupid! How would I even look to someone passing by this corridor? I’d look crazy talking to absolutely no one! Now please excuse me, but I have a class to attend, dear hallucination. It’s always nice to have an idol visiting me like this, but next time you creep around, ple-” I stopped talking when I heard steps in the hallway behind me and my eyes widened. I turned to look away and immediately took out my phone, making it as if I was checking some stuff until the person would leave. 

 

Baekhyun spotted the girl and immediately smirked, putting his two hands in his pocket and resting against the wall. 

 

“Hey, pretty~” 

 

I looked up and frowned. The girl immediately looked as well, eyes widening slightly and she giggled, her cheeks turning pink. He sent her a wink and she waved at him shyly before going on her way. When she disappeared I looked over at Baekhyun with wide eyes. 

 

“See?” He said, his smirk not even leaving his face. It took me a little while to process everything, at one point even wondering if the girl was also part of my imagination, but I couldn’t be  _ that  _ crazy. I gulped, every color on my face fading away as I came to the least probable yet real conclusion:

 

_ The real Byun Baekhyun, one of the members of my favorite Korean boy groups, was standing right in front of my face. _

 

Of course, after realizing that statement, due to the overwhelming feels, I lost consciousness. 

 

Baekhyun groaned at that and sighed, cursing under his breath as he caught me before I would collapse on the floor. 

 

“I can’t believe I’m skipping the rest of our tour for this…”

 

***

 

I woke up in a car, not really knowing what was happening. I shifted a bit, slowly opening my eyes and I looked around. I was on the passenger seat of an unfamiliar car. We were on a highway, going God knows where and I frowned a bit, trying to remember what had happened earlier. I turned my head a bit, eyes still half lidded due to the intense lights coming from outside. I saw Baekhyun beside me and raised an eyebrow, completely lost as to why I was in a car with Byun Baekhyun until I suddenly remembered everything that had happened before I passed out. I then did the most rational thing someone would do in this kind of situation:

 

I screamed. 

 

It was probably quite a loud one because I saw Baekhyun jump beside me, startled by the sudden high pitched noise and he instinctively pressed hard on the break, moving on the side to prevent any accident. Once the car came to a stop, he cursed loudly and hit his steering wheel before looking at me. “What the heck was that for!? You could have killed us!” He yelled at me once I had stopped screaming and I bit my lip, suddenly feeling guilty. I looked down at my lap and heard him sigh. 

 

“Okay, well I guess you won’t ever cooperate until you know what’s happening, and to be honest I really don’t want to be stuck with you struggling around the whole time so I guess I’ll need to talk.” He said, purposely making it like it annoyed him to the highest, wanting to make me feel guilty. I frowned a bit, wondering why he had such an attitude but I brushed it off. I looked up at him again but didn’t say anything, waiting for him to speak first.

 

Baekhyun sighed again and ran a hand through his hair. He didn’t think he’d need to do this and he surely wasn’t prepared. He didn’t know what words to use not to make it sound crazy. The least he wanted was me trying to run away and alert the authorities, so he just followed whatever instinct he had. 

 

“Well, to put it simply.. I’m not really human, and so aren’t you, and that’s why I need you to follow me to our native country. You don’t know about it, no human knows, but hey, surprise! You’re one of us.”

 

To say the least, Baekhyun’s instinct definitely wasn’t on its best that day. 

 

I immediately frowned, staying quiet for a few seconds before raising an eyebrow and scoffing. “Yeah right, and I’m actually this alien that comes from a family super powerful and they needed to get rid of me so I wouldn’t be used by mean people and I’ve lived without being aware of a super destiny that awaits me?” I joked and rolled my eyes, crossing my arms over my chest. 

 

Baekhyun stared back at me, not saying anything, only keeping the eye contact. After a good minute of complete silence, I frowned a bit. “Don’t tell me I’m ri-” 

 

“If what I just told you wasn’t the truth, why in the world would I, an _ idol _ , travel all the way here and cancel my presence at the concerts and music programs just to, I don’t know, prank around and invent random bullshit to a  _ human _ ?” Baekhyun interrupted me suddenly, the corner of his lips twitching at his last word. 

 

After thinking about it, and after rephrasing his words into some more respectful ones, I came to think he was, indeed, somehow right. If it was someone else that had came to bring me wherever I needed to be, if it was a complete stranger to me, then I surely would have thought it wasn’t real. But the fact that it was a face I knew, and a really incredibly handsome one that I knew quite much about, made the information a bit more credible, even though it was, nonetheless, completely unbelievable.

 

I looked down at my hands and frowned a bit. Baekhyun quickly understood I was about to give up on trying not to believe him and he sighed, turning his head back in front of the road. His mind was running, trying to find something to add, a little subtle lie, so he could have me cooperating. He reminded himself of every detail his mentor had told him about the case until one thing popped to his mind. The  _ orphanage _ .

 

“You know… I’m sure your parents are there, where I need to bring you. They’ll want to see you.” 

 

“My real parents? You know them?” My head turned in his direction, my attention completely turned to him now that he had mentioned that. I saw him nod slowly and I looked back down, one of my hand instinctively grabbing onto the pendant I had around my neck. That necklace was the only thing I had from my real family and it had given me the hope to find them one day. 

 

And that day might have been closer than ever. 

 

A small, almost invisible smile appeared on Baekhyun’s features and he knew he had just won over me. “Good. Now let’s go.” He mumbled, though before he could start the engine again I moved, unconsciously putting my hand on his to prevent him from continuing his action. 

 

“W-Wait! If… If what you're saying is all true, then tell me more! Why was I the only who could see you? What am I exactly? What are our powers? Do you know my real parents?” 

 

A heavy silence fell in the car, the only sounds heard coming from the cars passing by on the highway. Baekhyun didn’t move at all, and neither did I, both waiting. It took a few seconds for the other to move again and he simply pushed my hand away, finally starting the car. 

 

“I told you I’m not here to explain. I’m here to drive you there and protect you, so I’ll simply do that. Understand?” 

 

His tone was annoyed and I scoffed, looking through the window beside me and sighing. “You could at least tell me if we’re some sort of aliens or something…” I mumbled, sparing a glance at him and he groaned. 

 

“Do I look like an alien to you?” 

 

_ “Well, if you do, you’re an incredibly god-like one.” _

 

I didn’t say anything and simply shrugged before looking back at the window. I didn’t find it necessary to argue so I didn’t answer. Baekhyun seemed to appreciate my silence and he hummed after a few seconds, engaging the car on the road again. Billions of other questions came to my mind but I kept my mouth shut, now and then looking over at Baekhyun’s figure. He soon noticed my glances and looked back, smirking a bit before chuckling and looking at the road again. I quickly looked away, feeling a blush paint over my cheeks. 

  
I probably wouldn’t ever be able to realize the fact that I’d have to stay with Byun Baekhyun for an undetermined duration. It surely seemed quite appealing, though.


	3. Chapter 2

#  **Chapter 2**

* * *

 

Baekhyun stopped the car by a small restaurant near the highway. I didn’t know if he had heard my stomach growling, but I was glad we could finally stop to eat something. The ride was getting incredibly long. We had been further than I ever went before. When I opened the door to get out, I was surprised by the rather strong wind blowing. There wasn’t much to see around us, mostly trees, dirt, and the highway.

 

“Where are we?” I asked and looked over at him, still not used to see such person right in front of me yet. Baekhyun got out of the car, putting on his pair of sunglasses and I almost laughed at how unrealistic the whole scene looked. 

 

“Not far away yet.” He said simply and I frowned, following him inside the rather occupied place. The restaurant seemed quite abandoned from the outside, but the small amount of cars in front of the building and the people chatting inside as the waitresses made their way around with huge plates in their arms showed just how popular the small place must have been. 

 

I walked in without asking any more questions, waiting along with Baekhyun before someone came to greet us, giving us a table in a quieter place of the restaurant. Baekhyun sat in front of me and started checking the menu, clearly avoiding to look up at me. I didn’t know if I was supposed to feel insulted or not but I simply shrugged it off, doing the same and checking the menu for something to eat. We ordered rather quickly, Baekhyun making it quite clear even without speaking that he didn’t want to spend so much time in the open air. 

 

When the waitress left with our menus, I finally landed my eyes back on the man in front of me. For sure I had seen many times on social medias that idols looked even more perfect in real life, but I never thought they would look  _ that  _ perfect. I bit my lip for a second, letting myself almost drool at the sight. I had surprised myself by how normal I’d been acting toward him since he literally barged in my class, telling me the most unimaginable things in the world. I’d been following him nonetheless, because somehow what he had told me about a supposedly other world we were both part of seemed somehow more normal than the world I’d been living in my whole life. 

 

After a while, Baekhyun probably felt my staring eyes on him because he finally dared to look at me. It took me a while to come back to reality and notice he was staring right back and I felt my cheeks heating up suddenly. I froze and didn’t dare break the eye contact, which made him raise an eyebrow. “Is there anything on my face?” He said simply and I shook my head, both to answer him and to clear my mind of the invading thoughts. I looked down at my hands on my lap, slightly frowning. I had so many questions to ask, yet none seemed to be able to form in my mouth. They were all there yet they didn’t seem clear enough for me to form words or sentences to get my answers. 

 

Baekhyun seemed to notice the struggle and chuckled a bit, leaning closer to speak quietly. Somehow his tone seemed way softer than it had been for the past hours. “Sorry this is all a bit abrupt. I know it kind of sucks, and that you probably have a thousand of questions to ask, but that will have to wait for later. We’re not safe at all here and-” He stopped talking and I frowned. I was about to ask what he was about to say when the waitress arrived, depositing our two full plates on the table. I gave him a quick nod before looking down to eat, trying to control the pace of my fork but I really couldn’t. I ate hungrily, taking in quite huge bites, not even noticing the funny look Baekhyun gave me before he started eating as well. 

 

When I finally looked up from my plate, I had half of the food down my stomach and I sighed, making the man in front of me chuckle. I looked over at him, slightly embarrassed because I probably looked like a pig. I gave myself a mental note of trying to act a bit more civilized. The least I wanted was Baekhyun to have a bad first impression of me and I gulped down, this time managing to eat a bit more slowly. We both continued eating quietly. I looked over at Baekhyun from time to time, noticing how he kept looking behind me since a few minutes and I frowned again.

 

“Is everything alright?” I asked in a quiet tone and he finally looked over at me, slightly frowning as well. He leaned closer again, his eyes not leaving the window behind me and I wondered if I was supposed to look as well or keep my eyes on him. 

 

“Don’t turn back to look, but I think there are people for us outside..” He whispered and my eyes widened. I tensed a bit and he soon noticed it. He didn’t even have to look and in a quick movement he reached for my hand. I frowned and looked down, a part of me wanting to scream because  _ wow, one of Byun Baekhyun’s perfect hands was touching mine _ but I swallowed it back. I looked back up again, waiting for an explanation but he didn’t say anything, eyes still staring somewhere behind me and I bit my lip. For a mere second it’s like his iris turned yellow and my eyes widened again. I was about to speak but he was quicker than me, letting out a quiet curse before holding onto my hand tighter and it’s like a small electric shock ran through my hand, and then up in my arm, spreading in my whole body. I blinked, completely confused, but Baekhyun didn’t even let me time to try and rationalize what had just happened. He stood quickly and since he was still tightly holding onto my hand I did just the same. I looked around to see the people’s reaction because we clearly should have gained attention with the way we stood. 

 

Though not a head was turned in our direction. It’s like we didn’t even exist at all.

 

I frowned and suddenly yelped when Baekhyun tugged on my arm. He was already walking rather quickly toward the door directing to the kitchen. “Baekhyun what are you doing?! People can see u-” 

 

“People can’t see us, Eunji. We’re invisible. For the humans anyways, but the people looking for us can see, so I’m getting you out of trouble.” He explained quickly, tugging on my hand again since I had stopped walking. I looked around as I started following him once again, noticing how no one paid a single mind to us. Baekhyun led me to the kitchen and we hid behind the door. He peeked through the small window and I did the same, following his gaze. Just as the door to the kitchen closed, the main entrance of the building opened to three men that seemed quite normal, though I felt a shiver running down my spine and Baekhyun tensed beside me, his grip on my hand tightening some more.

 

The men looked around the restaurant and, again, no one seemed to notice them, not even the waitress that passed by without even a greeting. They seemed to be searching for someone. 

 

“Humans can’t see them either.” Baekhyun answered my unspoken question and I looked at him. He was still staring at the men. “Can you hear what they say?” He added and I frowned, looking at them again. One seemed to be talking to another yet I couldn’t figure what they were saying. 

 

“Of course not, they’re way too far for me to hear them!” I answered in a faint whisper and I heard Baekhyun chuckle. He leaned a bit closer, asking me to keep my eyes on them and so did I. I could feel his warm breath fanning on my cheek and my whole face reddened at the sudden proximity. 

 

“Look at the one who’s talking. Concentrate on his mouth, on his lips, on the words he’s forming. Don’t let your mind wander on anything else but the words coming out of his mouth…” He whispered to me and I tried my best to do just that. Watching as one whispered something at the one that seemed like the leader. I frowned a bit, starting to wonder how it was possible for me to hear anything but I quickly pushed the thoughts away, and the more I watched as his lips moved, the more it seemed like I could feel his voice getting to me. It was becoming clearer and clearer until it seemed like the man was speaking right into my ear. 

 

_ “...told us they’re supposed to be here. Someone that goes by the name of Baekhyun is supposed to be with her, they shouldn’t be so hard to find, Asians aren’t so hard to spot in such a place after all…”  _

 

My eyes widened and I looked over at Baekhyun, who guessed by the look that I had given him that I could, indeed, hear what the man had been saying. He smiled at me and I did just the same, looking back at the men and frowning. 

 

“If we can hear them, then why can’t they seem to hear us?” I ask, looking at Baekhyun who simply answered without looking. 

 

“Can you still hear them?” He asked and that’s when I realized their voices had vanished when I looked away. I stared at them again, not hearing anything of their conversation. “The enhanced hearing never lasts long, just like any of the enhanced senses. It takes a lot of concentration to master, and I’m quite surprise it worked on the first time for you, actually.” He whispered, frowning for a second before speaking again: “You need to be constantly looking at what you want to hear, or it’s not going to work. They haven’t seen us, so they can’t use their enhanced hearing on us. Only the best of us can use this power without needing to look.” He explained and I simply nodded, completely unfamiliar with the theory. “By their look, they don’t seem to be quite powerful, so we shouldn’t be scared of being heard from this far.” He added and I nodded again, reporting my attention to try and hear them again. 

 

They hadn’t moved from their spot, still looking around and talking to each other. It was so weird that no one seemed to see them at all. Except us, that is. I let my eyes wander over them some more until something caught my attention. 

 

_ Their eyes. _

 

I blinked some, trying to move a bit closer to have a better look. The eyes of the one that seemed to be the leader were a bright sparkling yellow, just like Baekhyun’s earlier. This clearly wasn’t normal. I continued staring, amazed by the gold sparkles they were emitting until he looked away from one of his men, his eyes locking with mine. 

 

“Oh, and you shouldn’t look directly at their eyes. We all have the ability to feel when someone stares at our eyes and-” Baekhyun stopped, looking at me before looking at the men again and cursing. “Well, too late.” He whispered, letting out a sigh and right before I heard the leader screaming and pointing in our direction, Baekhyun had once again stood up and he started running. 

 

I gulped and followed him around the kitchen, looking around and starting to panic. I heard the men’s heavy steps behind us and I bit my lip hard to hold back a scream. 

 

“When I say jump, you jump, alright?” I heard Baekhyun scream at me and I looked in front of me again, my eyes widening because, well, Baekhyun was leading us right to a dead end. 

 

This time I couldn’t help but scream, I tried tugging on his hand, screaming at him that he was probably blind because there was a damn wall right in front of us but he wouldn’t listen at all, only using his strength to pull me closer and closer to the dead end. I closed my eyes tightly when there wasn’t even a few meters separating us from our fate when I finally heard him speak again.

 

“JUMP!” 

 

And, as crazy as it sounded, I did just that, jumping when he told me to and, to my surprise, we didn’t hit a wall at all. I kept my eyes closed, too scared to find the need to open them. I suddenly felt the dry wind moving my hair and I frowned, finally deciding to open them. 

 

This time, Baekhyun also stopped when I did, looking at me for a few seconds as I took in our surrounding. We were at the back of the restaurant, coming out from, apparently, the brick wall behind us. I looked at him, panting, questioning him with my eyes, throwing at him a billion of unspoken questions and he simply shrugged it off, letting me catch my breath for a few seconds before taking my hand again and running toward the car. “Hurry or we won’t get to the car.” He said quickly and I followed him, looking at the brick wall again before turning my head to stare in front of me. 

 

We got to the car and immediately got in. Baekhyun didn’t even take the time to buckle up, starting the engine and quickly getting back on the road. I looked behind us just in time to see the three men rushing out of the building, pointing in our direction and then the dust the car had made made them completely invisible. 

 

I sighed and leaned back against my seat, still trying to catch my breath from the previous running. I looked over at Baekhyun and noticed how tight his grip was on the steering wheel. I frowned a bit and parted my lips to speak but he was quicker than me, cursing before giving me a quick look. “I don’t understand how they managed to find us so quickly.. It hasn’t even been a day, they’re not suppose to know I came to get you!” He spoke, probably more to himself than to me. I looked down at my lap, staying quiet. He mumbled some incoherent words before looking at me briefly again. I felt his eyes wandering over me and my cheeks reddened. 

 

“You don’t wear anything that could maybe have a location tracking device on it, do you?” Baekhyun asked suddenly and I frowned, looking up and through the window before shaking my head. 

 

“Of course not! Why would I wear such-” 

 

“What’s this necklace you’re wearing?” He interrupted me suddenly and my hand unconsciously went to the pendant I had around my neck. I swallowed thickly and looked at him, frowning. 

 

“This necklace is the only thing I have left from my mom. I was told that it already was around my neck when they found me at the door of the orphanage building. I’m pretty sure there is no such ‘location tracking’ in it, thank you very much.” I quickly retorted, my words a bit harsher than intended. Though they didn’t seem to insult Baekhyun in any way and he simply chuckled, not saying anything for a moment. He kept his eyes on the road, a small smile glued on his face. 

 

“And what if she  _ did _ put a location tracker in it? The pendant looks odd to me.” He finally said and I scoffed, holding onto the necklace tighter. 

 

“And why do you think she’d want to track me?” 

 

“She can have her personal reasons, but if someone has found out about it, they must be using it for quite different reasons than she used to.” 

 

I swallowed thickly, letting my hand fall back on my lap and I looked at the road again. Baekhyun glanced in my direction again and frowned, sighing before shifting a bit, one of his hand reaching for something on the back seat of his car. I felt him move but I didn’t look away from the horizon until he put something in front of me. A black box. 

 

I took the thing in my hand, surprised by its weight and I moved it around. It was made of some sort of cold rock. Before I could ask about it, Baekhyun spoke: 

 

“Put it in there, the box should block the signals the necklace emits, if it does emit some, that is, and when we'll be far enough from here I'll try to find a way to make sure there's nothing harmful inside the pendant or deactivate whatever gives out our location.” He said and handed it to me. I must have looked relieved and shocked at the same time because he chuckled and smiled when he looked at me briefly. “Did you really think I'd force you to get rid of it? You shouldn't jump to conclusions so fast, I never said you needed to let it go. I know some things have more worth than others.” He added and my cheeks went red in embarrassment. He noticed it and smiled even more, though his eyes stayed on the road.

 

I sighed and gave up, undoing the chain and opening the small box before putting my necklace inside. I bit my lip, looking down as I closed the box shut and I frowned as a small light lit up on top of it. I looked over at Baekhyun, about to ask him what it meant but right when I looked back down at it the light was gone. I shrugged it off and kept it on my lap as we drove off, hopefully away from anyone who was after us.

 

***

 

Baekhyun drove until the sun set while I was half asleep on the passenger seat. We had stopped by a drive in to get some food a couple hours ago, thinking that eating while moving was a better idea this time. I took a nap immediately after engulfing my burger and woke up when the car came to an halt. I opened my eyes slowly, the black box still on my lap, and I looked around, noticing we had stopped in front of a motel of some sort. I heard Baekhyun getting out of the car, not even sparing a glance at me and I scoffed before doing the same, stretching my tired limbs as I stood in the parking. 

 

It was completely dark outside except from the few street lamps displayed around the building and the sound of crickets was filling the place, making the atmosphere quite eerie. I shivered, wrapping my arms around my body and I quickly followed Baekhyun to the lobby. 

 

The inside actually made me just as uneasy as the outside and I made a face, unconsciously hiding behind Baekhyun as he walked to the front desk. I decided not to say anything, only rubbing my arms and looking around me curiously. The dark wooden floor was creaking with every steps and the walls were a pale beige paint. The place was quite simply decorated, a few potted plants and paintings here and there, though they didn’t seem fancy at all. The counter had a thin layer of dust covering it and the computer seemed as old as the whole building, which was probably impossible considering the place hadn’t been renovated for at least a good 40 years. Even then, I was being nice. 

 

Baekhyun pressed on the small bell and finally turned to look at me, soon noticing my uneasiness and he chuckled. “Not used to the hard life?” He asked and I simply rolled my eyes, biting my tongue not to let out any snarky remark. I wouldn’t have any time to make one anyway as an old woman arrived behind the counter.    
  
“Welcome, young people! How may I help you?” She said, her voice echoing in the small room. I eyed her curiously, wondering why such a cute and lovely grandmother worked in such a place. She was smaller than both of us but clearly larger, her presence relaxing yet disturbing. Her white and thick hair were tied up in a bun on top of her head, some loose strands falling on each side of her face. I let Baekhyun do the speaking, simply standing behind him as he rented us a room. 

 

“Only one bed, mister?” She asked, blowing on the computer’s keyboard to remove the dust before tapping on the old keys. 

 

“Two, please. Unless the lady wants to sleep on the couch?” Baekhyun answered, turning to face me with a forced sweet smile and I frowned, giving him a look that clearly meant  _ he _ would be the one not getting a bed if that was to occur. The woman noticed the tension between the two of us and cleared her throat. 

 

“I… Yes, sorry, mister, I thought you tw-” 

 

“We’re not dating.” 

 

Baekhyun turned to stare at me, slightly frowning as he realized the same words had slipped from my mouth, the same harsh tone painting our words as we both spoke at the exact same time. I raised an eyebrow at him, probably looking slightly challenging and he scoffed, looking back at the old woman and giving her a forced smile. 

 

“Two beds it is, then.” She mumbled slowly, tapping everything on the computer before looking up at Baekhyun again. “How will it be paid?” 

 

Baekhyun took out his credit card and I suddenly felt weird. Did he really think he was going to pay for the two of us? I looked down at my purse, searching for my own wallet and when I looked up again I froze, frowning as I saw the woman’s eye color change suddenly. 

 

_ A bright golden color. _

 

Baekhyun raised an eyebrow in confusion, slightly tilting his head on the side. “Well, what a coincidence…” He mumbled and I saw the woman smile a bit, giving Baekhyun his card back without even making him pay. 

,

“It is, indeed, quite rare to have such special guests in our motel. Tonight is a gift from the house, there’s no need to thank me.” She said and made eye contact with me, staring for a few seconds before her eyes filled with curiosity. “You seem shocked. Aren’t you-” 

 

“It’s complicated, I’d suggest you not asking any irrelevant questions.” Baekhyun was quick to interrupt her, his tone irritated. The woman swallowed thickly and nodded, though she kept her eyes on me as if piercing them and accessing to my mind, reading me like a book. As soon as the thought reached my mind, she smiled.    
  


“Some people are granted with better powers than others, sweetie, but I’m pretty sure yours is far better than anyone I’ve encountered before…” 

 

I gulped, not even able to take my eyes away from her sparkling yellow ones and Baekhyun groaned. “I don’t think we need an Intruder right now, so please mind your own business.” He mumbled before moving his hand in front of my eyes and I could finally look away, feeling somehow relieved this had ended. The woman gave us a small pout before looking over at Baekhyun, frowning. 

 

“There is no need to call my bloodline in such a pejorative way, young man. I’m not trying to intrude, but to help.” She said, looking over at me again. “I didn’t want to seem rude, this was all out of curiosity, really, but from what I saw, you two are in a bit of trouble…” She added, tilting her head on the side. 

 

I felt Baekhyun tense beside me and I looked up at him, noticing he was trying to find something to say. 

 

“The best would be not to mention our presence here if people come in looking for us.” I heard myself say, holding the woman’s glare again, this time staying still a bit straighter. She nodded and turned around, fumbling in her desk before retrieving a key and handing it to us. 

 

“I’ll assign you two the room with the quickest access to the parking and the road in case something has to happen. I might have the ability to explore one’s mind, but it doesn’t mean I open mine to anyone so easily.” She said, giving us a kind smile. “I’ll try to respect your privacy from now on, so you might go get comfortable before I crack one of you open again.” She added, her tone teasing. 

 

Baekhyun didn’t seem to like the playful behavior of our host and he simply grabbed the key, mumbling a small thank you for the free night. We both bowed our heads before turning back to exit the lobby, the feeling of the woman’s eyes piercing my skull and making me want to head out of here as fast as possible. 

  
Baekhyun must have had the same thought because he quickened his steps at that moment, dragging me outside where the eerie atmosphere awaited us once again.


	4. Chapter 3

** Chapter 3 **

 

* * *

 

Our assigned room seemed quite more welcoming than the lobby and I sighed in relief as I saw the two beds. I immediately jumped on one of the two mattresses, staring at the ceiling as Baekhyun brought his bag in the room and made himself comfortable on the other side of the piece. I closed my eyes after a while, concentrating on the noises Baekhyun made as he unzipped his bag and took out some clothes and bathroom products. I felt something falling on me and I opened my eyes, seeing the other had thrown a large shirt and some shorts in my direction.

 

“There. You’ll need that.” He said simply and I realized just then that, except my purse, I had absolutely nothing with me. My eyes widened and I sat up, looking over at Baekhyun. I should probably have thanked him, but the fact that he hadn’t even thought about bringing me to my house to get some of my clothes and things before leaving stopped me. Oh, or he probably thought about it. He just didn’t have the kindness to do so.

 

Which meant; I wouldn’t have the kindness to thank him for the clothes.

 

I stood with a scoff, taking the two pieces of clothing from the bed before heading to the bathroom. I heard him chuckle behind me and it upset me even more. Who knew the cute and outgoing Baekhyun we knew from behind the screen had such a bitchy attitude in real life? Certainly not me.

 

I locked myself in the small but nice looking bathroom and stared at my reflection in the mirror before raising an eyebrow. “Well, this is horrible…” I mumbled to myself, looking down at the counter for a hairbrush but, of course, there wasn’t any, mine resting comfortably in my own bathroom. I closed my eyes, taking a few deep breaths to calm myself. _Everything will be alright, I’ll buy one tomorrow. Everything is going to be super fine. There’s no need to panic. Not at all._

 

I repeated myself these words as I leaned down to splash my face with cold water, trying desperately to shut any negative thoughts. I also tried convincing myself there wasn’t anything bad in having to spend the next few days in Baekhyun’s company but it only made the whole situation even crazier.

 

I straightened up after considering my face was clean enough and, keeping my eyes closed, I searched for a towel, drying my face before looking up again only to find my eyes had changed color. They were bright golden.

 

I blinked a couple times, thinking my imagination was playing with me all over again, but they just wouldn’t go back to their normal brown color. I started panicking again, stepping back until my back met the door and I screamed without even realizing it, closing my eyes tightly.

 

Baekhyun was a bit too quick reacting to the sudden scream, rushing to the bathroom and bursting the door open only to have me losing my balance and falling against him, knocking him out of surprise and we both fell down with a thud. Baekhyun groaned in pain as his back met the carpeted floor and groaned again, a bit louder this time, as I collapsed on top of him.

 

I sighed and stayed there for a couple seconds, breathing deeply to try and calm my beating heart until I felt Baekhyun shift under me, pushing me on the side so he could sit up. I frowned and sat up as well, rubbing the back of my head before looking over at him and widening my eyes for him to see my irises.

 

“What color are they?” I asked him and he frowned. His look clearly showed he was judging but I couldn’t care less.

 

“They’re brown, just like they’ve always been. What the heck just happened? I thought you were dying in there!”

 

I swallowed thickly and immediately looked away, suddenly feeling slightly guilty. I didn’t say anything and Baekhyun was quick to understand nothing had actually threatened me and he scoffed, standing back up. I kept looking down, noticing he wasn’t moving at all and I raised my head, realizing he had his arm extended toward me. I tried not to smile at the act and took his hand to help me stand back up. I fixed my clothes a bit, deciding it would be better to simply avoid his eyes for the time being. I mumbled a small ‘thank you’ before going back to the bathroom, knowing a shower would be more than needed.

 

***

 

There hadn’t been a single word spoken after the small incident, and when I came back from my shower, Baekhyun was already tucked in bed, curled on his side with the blanket covering his face. I sighed and went to my own side, putting my other clothes near my bag before hiding under the warm blankets and staring up at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to get to me.

 

Which still hadn’t come after five long minutes.

 

I sighed again, turning on my sides, removing an arm from under the sheets, counting the sheep, but absolutely nothing would help me fall asleep even though I felt my whole body being completely exhausted. I soon gave up trying to help myself and I just stared back at the ceiling, not able to prevent the events of the day to replay in my mind, nor all the questions I wished I could have answers to.

 

I turned my head to look over at Baekhyun’s figure under the blanket, suddenly wondering if he was asleep or not. He wasn’t moving at all, the slight moving of his chest barely visible due to the dim lights. I looked back at the ceiling and decided to ask him the first question that came to my mind.

 

“Do you trust the old lady at the lobby?”

 

My voice was only a faint whisper, but the small groan Baekhyun made and the sound of the blankets moving made it clear that he had heard my words. He didn’t say anything at all and I started wondering if he’d ever answer this question or any questions at all. “Baekhyun, can’t you just at le-”

 

The other interrupted me with a sigh and I stopped talking, turning my head toward him again and noticing he was staring at me, his eyes somehow glittering in the darkness.

 

“I don’t know, Eunji. If there’s something you should know for now, it’s to never, ever completely trust an Intruder.” He finally answered and I frowned, not able to keep my next question to myself.

 

“What’s an Intruder? You said that to her, earlier, and she didn’t seem to like the term.” I know I was annoying him, but I just couldn’t help being curious. There were so many things I wasn’t aware of and Baekhyun was my only source of information.

 

“Intruders are the ones who received the power to read someone’s mind. They have the ability to open you up, dig in your memory, find about your passions, your fears, anything.” He explained and I shivered, parting my lips to speak, but he continued:

 

“We call them this way because they’re known to be quite... intrusive. That woman probably comes from a family in which the gene is passed from generations and generations, which is why her ability seems quite powerful…” He added, seemingly more talking to himself than to me. I didn’t say anything, scared to interrupt his train of thoughts. “She knows people are after us, now, and even though she said she would help us… You never truly know what happens in these people’s mind.” He added and I could feel the disgust in his tone.

 

Even though I found something reassuring and comforting in the old woman’s gesture, Baekhyun was right. There was something in her eyes that made me want to hide from her glare. Something playful and malicious that gave me the chills every time the image of her eyes popped in my mind.

 

“Are there… a lot of Intruders where.. Where we come from?” I asked him, not able to keep my mouth shut after everything he had told me. It was more than everything he said since the morning and I didn’t want this conversation to end just yet. Baekhyun noticed my curiosity and, this time, instead of pushing me away and ignoring me, he continued speaking.

 

“Not really. This one special ability is quite rare to possess, and the ones who are granted with such powers usually never end up with an ordinary life. As much as some can despise the Intruders, some also find them particularly useful. They’re ready to pay Intruders quite a lot if they’re ready to give them access to the whole world’s minds.

 

“Intruders are also very protective when it comes to their powers. They will ally with one another and form clans or families. They will arrange marriage to bond with one another so they can control their powers. These abilities we get, they come from our genetic. If both your parents have the same ability, there’s a really high chance you’ll have just the same.”

 

I closed my eyes as Baekhyun spoke, trying to make images of everything Baekhyun said. This all seemed like a bad supernatural movie, but something inside me pushed me to believe every word he was saying. “What’s yours, then?” I asked, realizing just how listening to Baekhyun speaking seemed to be luring me to sleep. I heard him sigh and he moved around in his bed before speaking again.

 

“I can dematerialize myself and other people. To put it simply, I can transform myself into a ghost, I can walk through walls or any other solid objects.” He said and I nodded even though I knew he couldn’t see me. “You know, back at the restaurant when we were running toward this wall. I’m not an idiot, I knew what I was doing.” He added and I unconsciously bit my lip. I didn’t know if that was supposed to be a warning as to trust him for the next time so I stayed quiet.

 

“I got it from my dad. He had the ability to do that, too. He-” Baekhyun stopped suddenly and I opened my eyes, turning my head to look at him. I could see he was also staring at the ceiling. He didn’t add anything after that and I wondered if I should say something or not. I decided to stay quiet, only watching his barely noticeable figure in the dark until he sighed and spoke again, turning on his side to face the wall.

 

“Goodnight, Eunji.”

 

***

 

I woke up to the sound of steps and a door being closed and I groaned, slowly opening my eyes and blinking to get them used to the light. I frowned a bit, the wall in front of me being completely unfamiliar and I sat up quickly, a small gasp escaping my lips. It took me a couple seconds to get everything back to work in my mind and my shoulders relaxed.

 

So the events of yesterday weren’t a dream, after all.

 

I laid back down with a whine and heard Baekhyun walk out of the bathroom, a toothbrush planted in his mouth. He glanced at me, not even bothering to say good morning and checked his bag before going to the only window of the room, looking through the curtain and at the parking.

 

“What time is it…?” I mumbled from under my sheets, feeling like I barely slept at all. With how the sun got through the curtains and lighted Baekhyun’s face, I guessed it had just risen and it made me even more tired.

 

“It’s 6am. Get your stuff ready, we need to go.” He said quickly, the toothbrush still occupying the majority of his mouth. I whined again and put the blanket on top of my head. Barely sleeping two days in a row really was getting to me and all I wished was for the sun to go back down. I wasn’t ready to face another day like this.

 

Baekhyun went back to the bathroom to finish his things and I finally found the strength to stand, taking my clothes from the day before and putting them back on before throwing what the other had lent me in his bag. By the time he went back to the room I was laying down in bed again, staring at the ceiling.

 

“Clearly not a morning sunshine, uh?” He teased me and the look I gave him made him laugh, which certainly wasn’t my purpose. “Come on, we have a long way to go and I honestly am not in the mood for a bad encounter.” He added, taking all of his things to carry to the car and I had no choice but to do the same, taking my only bag with me before following him outside.

 

The sun was shining way too brightly for my liking, the birds sitting on the rare nearby trees and chirping actively. It was the only sound that could be heard, the rest of the land quiet and sleeping still. I followed Baekhyun to the lobby so we could bring back the key and thank the lady for the free night.

 

We were quite surprised when we spotted her bent down in one of the flower beds in front of the main building. Baekhyun stopped and cleared his throat, the woman hearing us immediately and she stood back, turning around and looking at us with a sweet smile.

 

“Ah! Good morning, young people.” She greeted us, wiping her dirtied hands on her apron when she spotted the key in Baekhyun’s hand. “Leaving already? So you really are in quite a hurry, aren’t you?” She added and walked inside followed by the two of us. When behind her counter, the lady took the key and again tapped a few things on her old computer before looking up at us.

 

“Are you two going back to our native land?” She asked, briefly looking at Baekhyun before her eyes landed on me. I gulped and frowned a bit. Just like the night before, I felt her eyes pierce through me. I couldn’t even gasp or look away when her irises became yellow. I just stared back, and what felt like eternity was actually only a mere second. Baekhyun was quick to react, stepping in front of me to break the eye contact and putting his hands on his hips.

 

“Seriously? I thought I’d been clear yesterday about being overly intrusive.” He groaned, and as soon as Baekhyun blocked me from staring back at the woman, I was able to look away, rubbing my forehead and looking down at my feet. Had she gone through my mind again? I could still imagine in my mind just how her eyes invaded mine. I felt a bit dumb but more than anything I felt completely opened and embarrassed. How was it normal for someone to go spy in someone else’s mind like this? It was more than complete nonsense to me.

 

I heard the old lady chuckle and she bent on the side a bit, trying to look at me. “Sorry again, young lady. Sometimes, curiosity can’t be helped for an elder woman like me. You seem so different from our people and your reaction when I mentioned Anis really triggered my interest…”

 

“Her behavior is none of your concern. Please check us out so we can leave.” Baekhyun stopped her, bending on the side as well and blocking me from her sight so she could look back at him.

 

“Yes, mister.” She said softly, bowing her head a bit before tapping a few more things on her computer. I unconsciously stayed hidden behind Baekhyun, preferring not to look at the woman’s eyes again. I noticed by the way Baekhyun was standing that he was rather angry and I secretly wished it wouldn’t last long so I could ask him questions about this native land the lady had mentioned.

 

_So we really didn’t come from here… Where was he bringing me?_

 

Once everything was settled, Baekhyun didn’t waste any time before turning around and taking his leave. I turned around as well and started walking toward the door, feeling him quickening his pace behind me, slightly pushing on my arm as a sign to move faster. Right as I reached to open the door, the woman’s voice echoed into the room again.

 

“By the way, young man, I’m sure she would love if you could take some of your time to answer her questions. She knows nothing about what she is, doesn’t she? Do you think you two can survive if you’re being chased and she can’t even defend herself properly? If she can’t even protect herself from me, will she survive her encounter with stronger powers than mine?”

 

Baekhyun and I both stopped at her words, his brows furrowing while my cheeks reddened. “Again, none of this is your concern. Farewell.” He answered simply before pushing on both of my arms a bit harder so I could exit the room, not without many more questions popping in my mind.

 

***

 

The first hours in the car were in complete silence. We briefly stopped for breakfast before hitting the road again, none of us daring to say a word. Some music was playing on the radio but I wasn’t really paying attention to it. Instead, I focused on the window and cleared my mind a bit, filtering my questions and waiting for the good moment to speak them out to Baekhyun.

 

I subtly started watching him after a while, trying to determine if he was still mad from our second encounter with the lady at the motel. Sure, he had his reasons to be angry at me since I basically let her gather all the information she needed, but how could I know? I wasn’t sure if he was mad at himself for not telling me more about it, though. I guessed, by the attitude he had adopted since we met, that he had too much pride to be angry at himself. I tried to laugh it off, unconsciously staring at him more and more, though it wasn’t only to check if he was still tensed or not...

 

“Just tell me what’s on your mind instead of staring at me like that. It’s annoying.” His words took me by surprise and I raised an eyebrow, scoffing. I mumbled a small and not at all sincere ‘sorry’ before looking back at the window.

 

_Definitely still angry._ I would have to postpone the interview for a bit later.

 

It was Baekhyun’s turn to take a few glances at me after that, his eyes deriving from the road to observe me from time to time, which I noticed but didn’t pay attention to it. Seeing he would get absolutely no reactions from me, he sighed and turned off the radio.

 

“Fine, sorry for being rude.” He mumbled and I had a hard time guessing if he truly meant his words or not. “Maybe the lady was right, afterall, I can’t really hide you from the truth. And I especially can’t have you fuck up if we get caught again.” He added, the harshness of his words making me frown.

 

“And who told you I can’t defend myself?”

 

“No one, but you look thin and completely defenseless. Have you ever punched someone? Have you ever fought with a knife? Have you ever used your power?” His questions took me by surprise and I didn’t say anything for a bit. Baekhyun surely knew my answers anyways, so I didn’t find the need to answer. “See? You need to be able to fight against these men if it ever happens that I’m not around to protect you.”

 

This time his words were a bit softer and I decided to look his way, nodding slowly. “Fine, I guess so. But how am I supposed to know my power? Or how to use it? Maybe I don’t even have one...” I mumbled, a slight pout forming on my face. Baekhyun made a face.

 

“That will probably be a bit tricky, but if you know how to defend yourself for now, that should do the job…” He said, looking over at me before staring at the road again. “Our powers are usually starting to develop when we hit puberty. It’s weird that you haven’t unconsciously discovered it yet. At first it happens without much of our control, and the more we practice it, the more we control it. It can be anything, really, from seeing people’s aura, or reading someone’s mind like the Intruders do.” He added and I simply nodded.

 

I tried to think about something strange, something _supernatural_ that could have happened unconsciously when I was younger, but nothing really popped to my mind. If it had really shown up, I surely would have known about it… right?

 

The car became quiet again after that, though I noticed Baekhyun wasn’t as tensed as he used to be a few hours before. I took this as my chance to ask him a bit more about what he was. What _I_ was.

 

Weird how it was making me realize just how ignorant I was about my whole life. Weirder how it was Byun Baekhyun that knew more about myself than I did.

 

“So this place the lady was talking about, our native land, where is it? How is it? Are… my parents still there? Do you know why they abando-”

 

“Woah, slow down, there. I’m going to answer your questions but only if you ask one at the time.” Baekhyun interrupted me, his words surprisingly not as harsh as I thought they would be. I unconsciously let a smile appear on my face and I nodded, taking the opportunity that he was ready to answer to choose my questions wisely, though before I could start speaking, Baekhyun did it before me:

 

“She was talking about Anis. This is where we come from.” He started, capturing all my attention. “Anis is an island situated on the Pacific Ocean, and yes, before you ask, it is normal that it is not listed on any map since, for the eyes of the humans, it doesn’t exist.

 

“We’ve been established there for a couple centuries, the story is a bit long to explain so I’ll skip it. There is one main city, which looks like any other city that you’d see here. We have a government, which is formed by 7 superiors. The leader of the superiors isn’t really chosen, though. He comes from the bloodline of the man who started it all. The control over the island and our kind is passed to the first son of the family. The 6 other superiors are chosen democratically. Anyways, I’ll skip the boring politic part.

 

“The place is very boring, to be honest. Well, in my opinion anyways. Even though the population has gotten bigger with time, it’s rare that one doesn’t know another in your neighborhood. It’s very similar to the human society, really. The only thing that differs greatly is the fact that we have classes at school that help us learn how to control our powers. We also learn the history of our kind and we barely brush on the human’s one.

 

“At the age of 18, we either decide to stay there or go live with the humans, which is what I chose. Then, well, you get the rest of the story. We either live our life among the humans, as if we were one, or we live our life as what we truly are back on the island. Some like me can be called to either protect our secrets if someone ever tries to use their powers to gain a certain control over the humans or to make sure everything goes alright.”

 

I listened to him, completely immersed in his descriptions. Again, the more I thought about it, the more I felt like I was starring in the typical fiction movie. Could this truly be real?

 

“For your parents, well they probably are somewhere around. I have no idea why you were left in here. What I know, though, is that people with bad intentions are looking for you and we need you to go back to Anis as soon as possible, which is why I’m here.” He explained and I sighed. Of course, they wouldn’t have given him such information. It wasn’t really necessary for him to know. For me, though, it was more than important.

 

My hand unconsciously moved to my neck, reaching for my necklace but I didn’t touch anything but air. “It’s okay.” I mumbled, “I’ll figure out a way to find them. Or at least find anything that belongs to them.”

 

Baekhyun eyed me for a couple seconds, his eyes lingering on my empty neck until I felt his eyes on me and I looked back at him. He quickly looked away and I did the same, looking back at the window and smiling to myself. I had just witnessed Byun Baekhyun caught on the spot and blushing. _Priceless._


	5. Chapter 4

#  **Chapter 4**

* * *

 

 

Baekhyun finally had the decency to bring me to a few shops. 

 

Well, decency was a big word. When they announced a mall by an exit a few miles away from us I immediately jumped on the occasion. No way he would force me to follow him around with only one shirt and one pair of pants. I also needed a brush for my hair, which was getting rather messy without anything to untie the knots. 

 

Some toothpaste and a toothbrush, most importantly. 

 

And some soap and shampoo. 

 

And some underwears. Oh, how I needed some other underwears. 

 

“Bring me to the mall. I need to buy some stuff.” I told him bluntly, pointing toward the next exit. I looked over at him, waiting for any reaction of some sort, though the only thing I got was a small glance in the direction my finger was pointing at. 

 

“And you think we have time for that because…?” 

 

I closed my eyes in exasperation, holding in a dry laugh. Of course, what else could I have expected? I parted my lips, ready to yell at him some non-filtered atrocity but he was faster than me.

 

“I’m kidding, geez! I’m giving you maximum an hour, though. We have to keep moving.” He added quickly, eyeing me and coughing awkwardly, very probably hiding his laugh. The look I gave him wasn’t meant to be funny at all but I kept my anger for myself, looking through the window instead. Now wasn’t the time to tell him what I  _ truly  _ thought about his horrible attitude. Something inside me was telling me I wouldn’t get clean underwears if I did. 

 

Baekhyun took the next exit and I immediately started checking for the different shops, wanting to make a list of the places to visit so we wouldn’t have to take too long. I made him park the car by a clothes shop and when I got out I was hit by the harsh and dry wind blowing in my face, making my loose hair make a mess in my face. 

 

“Where are we, actually? And where are we going?” I asked Baekhyun as I took my purse and closed the door. He followed behind me, hands in his pockets and seemingly annoyed by the situation. 

 

“We’re somewhere in the south-west. Approaching the Pacific Ocean, hopefully. The hottest it will get, the better it will be. It means we’re getting closer to our destination.” He explained, brushing a few bangs from his forehead. I wasn’t the only one bothered by the heat. I guessed we either were in California or getting near it.

 

“And what will we be doing once we arrive to the coast? Take a boat to the island?” 

 

Baekhyun nodded at my question and opened the door to the shop. I walked in, mumbling a surprised ‘thank you’ since he had just opened me the door. This kind of actions toward me was one of the first and I wondered if I should start counting them or not…

 

My eyes scrutinized the alleys of clothes and I started walking around, completely forgetting about Baekhyun behind me as I checked some clothes out, putting some in my arms to keep them as I continued my journey. Baekhyun followed me without any words, simply looking around with a poker face. 

 

“Oh god, don’t try that. The stripes will make you look fat.” He blurted out suddenly and I turned around, eyes widening. I was holding a cute striped t-shirt in my hand and I stared at it before looking back at Baekhyun, this time with a raised eyebrow. 

 

“And what does mister attitude know about clothings?” 

 

“Much more than you, apparently. Hurry and put that back where it belongs. The clock is ticking.” He answered and took the hanger, doing it himself. I watched with an amused face as  _ he _ started checking the different pieces of clothes before throwing a couple things at me. 

 

When he was done raiding the shop, I tried everything out in one of the cabins. Surprisingly, everything he had not so gently discarded my way earlier seemed to fit me more than what I had chosen myself. I walked out of the cabin with two piles of clothes, giving one to a staff lady before heading to the cashier to pay. Baekhyun was quick to notice most of the clothes he chose for me were still in my arms and, by the way I was not very subtly sulking him, he knew he had won his little game. I didn’t even have to glance at him to know he was wearing his annoying smile of victory. 

 

And, much to my dislike, his smile soon became contagious. 

 

***

 

It took me a bit more than an hour to be able to gather everything I needed, but Baekhyun didn’t mention anything about it when we took the highway again, continuing our way. My wallet had taken quite a hit but then I realized I probably wouldn’t need it anymore. The thought was weird, and I almost asked Baekhyun about the currency used at my so called home but I preferred not to say anything. 

 

Then I started thinking about my friends that I had suddenly left behind. Our residence, my studies, everything. It hit rather suddenly and I was surprised I hadn’t thought about it sooner. Was I going to be reported as missing? God, I preferred not to think about it so much. I felt the urge to ask Baekhyun for his charger so I could get my phone running and tell my friends I was still alive, but, and I quote: 

 

_ “Opening your phone would give whoever is after us another chance of getting our location, which would be too much of a burden than you simply going missing.”  _

 

I tried taking Baekhyun’s words as a very subtle way to say he preferred me alive and thought missing than simply dead. 

 

With all of this in mind, I was too busy to wait for the time to pass and before I knew it, the sun had set and Baekhyun was taking the next exit to get in a motel for the night. We stopped by the first one we saw and Baekhyun parked the car before looking over at me. 

 

“Okay, lesson time.” 

 

I frowned a bit at his words and tilted my head on the side. “And what do I need to be taught about…?” I asked and Baekhyun’s eyes locked with mine, making me feel uneasy after a little while. I gulped and looked down.

 

“How to stop a damn Intruder to screw things up.” He explained in one short sentence. I couldn’t stop myself from scoffing and I looked back up at him, nodding slowly. 

 

“Alright, go ahead.” I said, straightening myself a bit and turning my body to face him. Rather suddenly, and without any warning at all, Baekhyun leaned closer, one of his hand grabbing onto my chin to move my face even closer to his. My eyes widened immediately and I was pretty sure my cheeks were as red as tomatoes. I could feel my heart pound in my chest at that one single thought. 

 

_ I was barely a few inches away from kissing Byun Baekhyun. _

 

“What color are my eyes?” He asked me and I frowned, his question bringing me back to reality. 

 

_ Okay, yeah, no kiss. Of course, what was I even thinking? _

 

“They are pretty much the same brown color they’ve always been. W-What are you doing..?” I mumbled, trying to move back but his grip was tight on my chin. He rolled his eyes and sighed.

 

“No. What color are they  _ truly _ ? Concentrate on them, just like how I told you for your hearing yesterday at the restaurant.” 

 

It was rather hard to concentrate only on Baekhyun’s eyes color, and not on his proximity and his touch, but after a few seconds of intense staring and focusing on only his irises, the brown in his eyes started fading, and suddenly the color was washed away and his eyes became a sparkling gold color. 

 

I gasped and tried to move back again. This time, Baekhyun let me, only staring without any words, waiting for me to speak. I blinked a few times and the more I did, the more the golden faded away, replaced by the initial brown color. 

 

“W-What the hell just happened?! Why did you-” 

 

“That wasn’t me. You used your enhanced sight and saw what is hiding behind the brown of my irises.” He explained, leaving me even more dumbfounded. “Your enhanced sight works just as the hearing does. You concentrate on what you’re looking at, and when you are enough, its details will appear to you, no matter how far away you are from what you’re looking for. As long as you keep staring at it.” 

 

I nodded slowly, watching his eyes with pure curiosity. “So… When you look at my eyes… they’re golden too..?” I asked him and he nodded. 

 

“It’s what differentiate us from humans. Everyone in our species can, by looking at someone’s eyes, determine if they’re humans or not. Of course, we can also trigger the change and make the golden in our eyes visible for anyone. It happens unconsciously sometimes, when feeling extreme emotions, but we also learn how to consciously make our eyes change color.” 

 

I nodded slowly, trying to assimilate all the information at once. “And… how does that make me able to avoid an Intruder from reading my mind?” I say, slightly raising an eyebrow. 

 

“Well now that you can determine by yourself if someone is from our kind or not, it can become easier to know if it’s possible for them to do that or not. After that, it’s up to you to have the will to be able to look away or not. Or to block your mind from any intrusions. The best tip I could give you is, if you ever start feeling like you did when the lady looked at you, to look away as soon as possible. It’s a game of who has the strongest mind that you have to play.” 

 

To my surprise, Baekhyun’s lips curved into a tiny, genuine smile. “By seeing how you’ve mastered the enhanced senses so quickly, I’m sure as hell you’ve got one pretty strong mind here. So, next time, you won’t open so easily, uh?” He added, letting out a faint chuckle before turning to the back of the car to get his things and opening the door to get out of the car. 

 

I did just like him and followed him to the lobby, still replaying his smile in my head. He had such a beautiful smile and I secretly wished he could smile more around me. His bitchy traits and poker face were still good looking but there wasn’t anything better than his smile. 

 

“Thank you, by the way.” I told him suddenly and he looked down at me, his smile already long gone from his features. 

 

“Why?” 

 

“For explaining this all to me. I know it bothers you, but I really appreciate it. It’s hard to blindly jump in the unknown like this without even knowing where you’re going and what you truly are..” I confessed, kicking a rock with my foot as he reached the building. 

 

“It’s good that you know you’re bothering.” 

 

And, in a matter of seconds, just with that, ByunBitch was back on the track.

 

***

 

Having the scent of my familiar shampoo filling the shower really was bringing me back home. I could just close my eyes and smell the air and I’d be back to my apartment as if none of these events ever happened. I tried to make it last as much as possible before having to dive back into the reality and turn off the water jet, getting out of the shower to the completely unfamiliar bathroom of the motel. 

 

At least I had my own bath produces, now. And a good hairbrush. And everything necessary to have a minimum hygiene. It was hard to be thankful toward Baekhyun for the stop at the mall, considering he had been rather rough since the beginning, so I took it as a non-verbalized apology for everything he had made me endured since the first second he barged in my life. 

 

_ Maybe I should have made him pay for my clothes… _

 

I wrapped myself in one of the towels, wrapping another around my head before drying myself up and trying this new pajama I just bought. I wiped the steam off the mirror, looked at my reflexion and examined my features until I arrived up at my eyes, staring at them for a while before suddenly thinking about something... 

 

I slowly inched closer to the glassy surface, my eyes locked with my reflection’s. I tried concentrating on nothing else but my brown irises, emptying my mind until they were the only things preoccupying me.

 

And it happened.

 

A bit slower than with Baekhyun’s, the brown in my eyes started moving slowly, as if a burst of wind had blown over it, sparkles of golden appearing until it had completely replaced my normal color. 

 

I gasped and moved back, startled by the change in my eyes. Again, after a few times blinking and my mind losing its concentration, the brown came back, covering any yellow left in my irises. It was as if nothing had happened at all, yet it had none the less made something click in my mind. 

 

That was it. The last proof I needed. Now I was either crazy or this whole thing was true. I opted for the latter, preferring a sane mind even though this was all definitely unbelievable. I took a deep breath and looked at my reflection again, unconsciously seeking for some sort of moral support from the me behind the mirror. 

 

I wasn’t given any, of course, but knowing that I still seemed to be me no matter what had just happened helped a bit. I was still Kang Eunji. I had always been, actually. I had always been the Kang Eunji with hidden gold eyes. I simply was unaware of it. Nothing had changed. 

 

With that thought in mind, I finished preparing myself to go to sleep before heading out of the bathroom. I didn’t really think about sparing a glance to Baekhyun, putting all my stuff in this newly bought bag before crashing on my bed with a sigh. The room was completely quiet and I frowned a bit and, curious, I looked up at my roommate and raised an eyebrow. 

 

“Baekhyun…. What are you doing…?”

 

The said male was sitting on the edge of his bed, in my direction, staring back at me, probably having been staring for a little while now. He was holding one of the pillow to his chest while his fingers were tapping on the material absentmindedly. It took him a few seconds to snap back at it and he blinked. 

 

“Come here, I want to test something.” He called to me and I raised my head a bit more. 

 

“And what do you have in mind, this time?” 

 

I slowly raised from my mattress, sitting right in front of him on the edge of my bed. Baekhyun stood up and I did the same, frowning a bit. My brows furrowed some more when he moved into a more stable position, holding the pillow a few centimeters away from his chest as if protecting himself with it. 

 

“Punch it. The hardest you can.” 

 

Recalling earlier’s events in the car, I guessed it was better if I didn’t ask any questions, wondering if he was back for some 101 lessons once again and I raised an eyebrow, punching the pillow without any apparent effort. Baekhyun scoffed. 

 

“Is that really all that you have? Come on, you’re not that much of a weak. Hit me for real… unless you’re too much of a wimp to do so…” 

 

His annoying smirk was the only thing that made me do exactly what he asked, I swear. Or maybe it wasn’t. I positioned myself as well, challenging him with my eyes before sending my best punch right into the pillow, targeting his abdomen. The strength of the hit took him by surprise a bit and he lost his balance for a second before looking up at me with an expression that clearly meant ‘not bad’. 

 

I smiled in victory and watched as he let go of the pillow. “Alright, your strength is not so bad. You need to learn  _ how _ to punch, though. Even though you have force, your hits could be better if you angled your fist properly.” 

 

Baekhyun moved beside me, taking my wrist to get a hold of my fist. I closed it tightly, subtly looking up at him as he was busy positioning my arm in the desired way. “Just like that…” He whispered, his eyes finally meeting mine. 

 

I wasn’t sure if we were holding a gaze competition or not, but none of us moved nor spoke for what seemed like eternity. However, probably just a few seconds passed until Baekhyun cleared his throat and finally looked away, moving back in front of me and putting the pillow on his chest again. 

 

“Hit again, but with the good technique, this time.” He said and I nodded, licking my dried lips before finally paying attention to how he had placed my arm. I moved into position again, aiming for the pillow and hitting it hard again. 

 

This time, Baekhyun lost a bit more of his balance, the hit clearly more powerful now that I knew how to do it properly. “Again.” He said and I looked up, nodding and repeating it. I did it again and again, each time managing to put a bit more strength to it until Baekhyun found himself knocked down on his mattress. I watched with wide eyes, hoping he wasn’t completely into it.  _ I shouldn’t be having the strength to put him down so easily. _

 

“Okay, enough of that. You’re a fast learner.” He said, putting the pillow aside and standing back up before looking at me. “Turn around.” I gulped and did just that, turning to face my bed. I waited for a couple seconds, wondering what he was about to do. When I lost patience, which meant after a mere ten seconds of complete silence, I was about to turn around when strong arms wrapped around my upper body, trapping my two arms on my side. 

 

I yelped and struggled, but in vain. His grip was too strong and I was unable to do anything to get away. “Okay, stop struggling, you’re really not helping yourself right now. What you’re doing is only wasting your energy.” Baekhyun said behind me and I stopped, scoffing. 

 

“What the hell is this for anyways? Why are you doing this?”

 

“To teach you how to get away when someone grabs you like this, what else? Do you really think I’d hold you like this for fun?” 

 

The thought of Baekhyun holding me like this  _ for fun _ almost crept through my mind but the simpliest and tiniest thought of it made me blush. I flushed the rest away and tapped my hands on my thighs, waiting for him to explain me what to do. 

 

“Okay. I’m going to show you the easy way out of it since you really are not a taekwondo master. First, to weaken your opponent, the best would be to gain enough balance and send him a kick right in the balls.” 

 

_ Surprisingly, Byun Baekhyun saying the word balls was way more disturbing than I thought it would be.  _

 

“And then, once it is done, if he’s still holding onto you, you can use your elbows to hit him in the ribcage. You’ll have to try and bend your arms before hitting him from behind. He’ll be restraining your front movements, but not the back’s. The hit with each elbow should be strong enough to free you.” 

 

I nodded and bent my arms a bit, trying to do as he had just told me, ready to hit him before he quickly moved back. “Woah there! Not your whole strength, uh? I need these ribs.” He said and I couldn’t hold back a chuckle. He went behind me again and I faked a hard hit only to have him move back again. His startled expression made me laugh out loud and he frowned. “Fine, enough of that.” He mumbled simply, taking the pillow again. 

 

“Let’s go with the kicks, now.” 

 

***

 

It was approaching midnight once Baekhyun finally put a stop to our so called training. I would have needed a second shower but I soon gave up on it, not able to move my muscles anymore. I fell in my bed, limp, watching as Baekhyun put his pillow back on his mattress before moving under the covers without showing any exhaustion at all. 

 

“Aren’t you even a bit tired…?” I asked him, my chest heaving up and down. I brushed the small droplets of sweat that covered my forehead, not really feeling the necessity of going under the blankets just yet. 

 

“Well I’m used to singing and dancing at the same time, am I not? This only acted as a basic training for me, nothing too hard. Plus, you worked harder than I did.” He explained, turning on his side to look at me. For a second I thought I noticed a smile on his face but it was gone quickly after. 

 

_ Was he restraining himself from any gentle actions on purpose? _

 

I hummed and looked at him as well, not able not to let my eyes wander over his handsome features. “Sometimes I forget that you’re actually EXO’s Baekhyun. It’s weird.” I said suddenly, not knowing if it was out of tiredness or not. 

 

I closed my eyes and heard the other chuckle a bit. His blankets moved a bit. “Sometimes I forget you’re actually a fan of us. I didn’t get any squeals yet. Should I suppose I’m your least favorite?” He asked, his tone definitely teasing. ByunBitch had been replaced for SweetBaek and I tried to enjoy it as much as it would last. 

 

“Sorry, it’s not that I had much time to do that anyways. My mind has been busy doing something else than focusing on your person.” I retorted, unconsciously smiling when he scoffed. 

 

“Go to sleep. It’s late and we need to be up early tomorrow.” He mumbled, his voice showing signs of exhaustion as well. I nodded, even though I knew he probably wasn’t looking at me and I finally hid myself under the sheets, resting my head on the pillow and sighing. 

 

“Thank you again, by the way. For-”

 

“Geez, could you stop thanking me? It’s annoying. Instead, you should make sure I don’t have to get in too much trouble to get you to Anis, will ya? That’ll be way much more appreciated than a couple of thank yous.” 

 

My lips formed a pout and I moved the blanket to my chin, watching the ceiling. Why was he always switching from nice to arrogant so quickly all the time? I wasn’t able to put my finger on what he was truly thinking whenever he did this, so I gave myself the objective to find it. It was easier to make him talk, now, after all. It was a matter of days before I could crack him more a bit about himself, right? 

  
_ Right? _


	6. Chapter 5

#  **Chapter 5**  

* * *

 

 

It was our third day on the road. 

 

Of course, the waking up part had been rather hard that morning. My muscles ached because of the last night’s training as well as the lack of sleep. I was drained both physically and mentally. All I wished was to stay in bed, head hidden under the blanket, so I could sleep for days and days without interruption. Of course, Baekhyun wouldn’t be very pleased with the idea. He had to force me out of bed by removing the blankets and threatening me “ _ to throw a bucket of cold water at my damn face if I didn’t get my ass out of bed in the next five minutes.”  _

 

I complied rather quickly and after a few complaints and retorts well kept for myself, I was up, dressed and ready to go. Baekhyun was one that seemed not to be joking around and I guessed he really would follow his words if necessary. I preferred not to play with his mood and simply did as told, fearing the freezing shower. 

 

I sat in the car with a loud sigh and rested my head on the window as I heard Baekhyun start the engine. He left the parking lot without a word and we were quickly back on the highway for another 10 hours or so of the incredibly long ride. I watched absent-mindedly as the car sped up, leaving behind us only the memory of our presence. I closed my eyes after a while, wishing to rest some more.

 

“Do you really not know when we’ll get there?” I asked with a sleepy voice, keeping my eyes closed. The vehicle stayed quiet for a little until Baekhyun spoke. 

 

“Well I was only told how to get to the coast, not how much time it would take to get there. We’re getting close, I think, though. If we don’t arrive tonight, it’ll probably be tomorrow. Or maybe after tomorrow, I have no idea.” He explained and I sighed. 

 

“Alright..” I mumbled, feeling exhaustion get to me again and before I even realized it, I fell asleep against the window. 

 

When I woke up, Baekhyun wasn’t on the highway anymore. I slowly opened my eyes and looked around, noticing we were in some city and I frowned a bit. The other was seemingly searching for something until he smiled and turned to enter the parking lot of a small group of restaurants. The car came to a stop and I saw the sign of a sushi restaurant. 

 

“Sushi? Really?” I asked and looked at the clock on the radio. It was already noon. Had I slept this much? At least I felt a bit less tired now, and since I didn’t have any breakfast, the idea of sushi made my stomach growl. 

 

Baekhyun stopped the engine and took his wallet on the backseat. “I’m getting tired of always eating on the go. And, since we didn’t have any bad intercourse for a while, I guess taking our time to eat could be more fun than stopping to a drive-thru like we always do. Plus, I’m really in need of sushi.” He said before getting out of the car and I followed him, a frown still lingering on my features. 

 

“Well, not to break your bubble or anything, but someone here doesn’t have a huge bank account and would prefer something less… expensive.” 

 

“Who said you’d need to pay? Don’t worry, I got you.” 

 

My eyes widened in shock and I followed him more closely. “What? No no no no you’re no-” Baekhyun interrupted me with a sigh, raising his hands in the air to stop me.

 

“Come on, just this time, ok? Your wallet took a hard hit yesterday, so let me do this for you? I mean, if you don’t want to, you can just go wait for me in the car while I eat those delicious and well-deserved sushi. It’s your choice.” Baekhyun said with a shrug and I groaned. 

 

I couldn’t simply wait in the car knowing he was eating sushi. No way. 

 

He opened the door to the restaurant and motioned me to walk in, his arrogant smile making me groan again as I passed the door, mumbling a small ‘thank you’ since even though he wasn’t being nice about it, he was still paying for my sushi. 

 

We were brought to a table with the menus and I licked my lips, feeling my stomach growl some more as I checked up all the choices. I always had a thing for sushi, and since Baekhyun was paying for me, I guessed I could give myself a little treat… It surely wouldn’t hurt anyone.

 

We ordered after a while, Baekhyun’s brow raising slightly as I gave my paper to the lady. He probably noticed how many I ordered and when our eyes met I simply smiled at him.  He chuckled dryly at that and rested his chin in his hand, staring back at me. I looked away and tapped on my thighs with my hands, trying my best to think about something else than Baekhyun staring at me with that smile of his so I wouldn’t have to find an excuse as to why I was blushing. 

 

We both stayed quiet for a while, the silence filling our table. It felt like the whole restaurant was quiet, yet all the other customers at the occupied tables chatted actively. I looked around, observing the various decorations of the place. My eyes caught the big aquarium and I smiled a bit, looking at all the fishes swimming actively. There was at least one of every color in there. 

 

I continued looking around until I saw Baekhyun still staring at me with the corner of my eyes. I raised an eyebrow and locked eyes with him. He didn’t bulge at all, staring back at me. I couldn’t really figure what he was thinking about. His orbs were completely unreadable. I continued looking at his eyes, seeing the sparkles of yellow starting to shine. When he spoke, though, my concentration, just as the golden in his eyes, faded away. 

 

“You know, if you keep staring at me like this, I might consider charging you.” He said, his voice nonchalant and another of his arrogant smile painting his face.

 

“Oh really now? And who has been staring at me since we arrived here? Where’s my money?” I asked him, stretching my hand to him, showing him my palm and waiting. He chuckled again and shook his head, leaning back on his chair with his arms crossed over his chest. 

 

“I’m pretty sure you’re the one who’s been staring at me the most since I came to get you, though. Stop acting over it and just admit I’m your favorite in the group.” 

 

I exaggerated a scoff at that, looking away and crossing my arms over my chest as well. There was nothing to answer to that. He would find a way to reword any of my replies to his advantage.  _ What a brat. _ I watched as he licked his lips and smiled in victory. I decided to let him savor his success a bit more, looking around before leaning a bit closer to him.

 

“I don’t want to disappoint you, but Chanyeol has been my favorite since the beginning. I tend to fall for the big wolves, not the small poodles.” 

 

I sent Baekhyun a wink before leaning on my chair again, watching in extreme satisfaction as his expression switched from proud to shocked and then to completely butthurt. It was very hard not to laugh at his face but I managed to control myself, smiling innocently at him. 

 

“Harmful wolf my ass. Chanyeol can’t even shower alone.” Baekhyun mumbled quickly, probably more to himself than to me. I chuckled and stared at him as he looked down at the table, a small frown glued on his face. It was getting even harder not to burst out in laughter.

 

I noticed how he seemed to think for a while, probably reconsidering his offer to pay for my sushi. Or maybe he was realizing that he truly was a poodle sometimes. I couldn’t really know, but whatever it was, it soon flew away and I was brought back to reality when he way too abruptly changed the subject.

 

"Eh, anyways. Tell me more about yourself" Baekhyun asked me suddenly and I frowned a bit, finding the question rather odd. Especially after the edgy retort I just shot at him.

 

"And why do you want to know?" 

 

Baekhyun shrugged, resting his chin in his palm once again, "Well it sucks when you're stuck with someone you know nothing about for a really long time, no? And I figured you probably know some stuff about me, so it should be normal for me to know a bit about you as well. Also because I’m rather bored and I figured it would be more interesting than you saying completely rude and unnecessary nonsense about my actually very manly appearance." 

 

Butthurt. He was so butthurt about it. Somehow it made me even more proud. Though the fact that he wanted to know more about me than just my name made my stomach curl unpleasantly. Whatever his true reason was, I probably wouldn’t know about it.

 

"What do you want me to tell you, then? There's nothing much to sa-" 

 

"What are you studying in?" Baekhyun asked and I stared at him for a bit before rubbing the back of my neck. This was definitely unexpected.

 

"Well I’ve been procrastinating a lot, actually. I started a major in sociology when I first entered university, but realized it wasn’t exactly what I wanted. I just switched to anthropology." I told him, smiling a bit. “Humans have always interested me a lot. How and why the society works this way, you know? How the evolution led us to where we are now, how cultures are so different and how humans function on the inside and on the outside. How we’re all different yet so similar...” I stopped myself, realizing I was starting to ramble a bit too much.

“It seems rather interesting, indeed.” Baekhyun said, tilting his head a bit before speaking again, "Do you still live with your parents?" 

 

I grimaced a bit at his question. "No, I left immediately when I turned 18 to live by the university with my friends. My house always appeared to me like two closed and locked doors to the real world that I couldn't reach. I never really felt at home in there. Especially since I always knew that the two people who educated me aren’t my real parents. I’ve realized it quite soon, considering they’re pure americans." I confessed, noticing I had never really voiced this up before. I always told everyone I was simply tired of the rules and was ready to move on and get a place of my own, preferring to keep the rest for myself.

 

Baekhyun only nodded this time, and the table became quiet again. I wanted to know about him, too. I wanted to know how he ended up in the company since he used to live on the island. I wanted to know what his childhood was like, in there, but I wasn’t sure he would open up to me. 

 

“What about you? Tell me a bit about yourself. Before you became an idol.” I asked, noticing how he so quickly grimaced and I felt my hopes of cracking him open vanishing. Baekhyun parted his lips to speak, staying like this for a few seconds before closing his mouth again and I sighed. 

 

“I really hope you didn’t think I wouldn’t ask you about yourself when you asked me these questions. Did you really think I wouldn’t expect reciprocal answers in return?” I told him and he groaned, running his hand through his hair before looking at me. 

 

“It was your choice to answer, after all. You could have told me it’s something private and I wouldn’t have questioned you furthermore about it. We all have the right to have a certain privacy, don’t we?” He retorted and I scoffed, rolling my eyes. 

 

“Yeah, of course, as if you were  _ really _ giving me space since you brought me into this! I don’t remember having any privacy at all unless I go hide myself in the bathroom.” I groaned, frowning at him. Of course, he didn’t really have any good answer to that, since my words were very very true. And if I wasn’t given any privacy, I didn’t know why  _ mister _ would have much either. 

 

"I always thought big, so being stuck on an island without much of a liberty was stopping me from truly doing what I wanted to do. That's why I decided to leave Anis. I was already in contact with Lee Soo Man back then. He’s actually one of us, too, so he decided to help me when I left the country. He knew my potential, so he took me as a trainee and I was more than happy about it. I was pursuing my big dream after 18 years locked in the small world of our island."

 

Baekhyun’s words surprised me more than I thought they would. I didn’t totally expect he would decide to talk. Even though it wasn’t much, I found myself smiling. One little step at a time, they say. 

 

“See? It wasn’t so hard, was it?” I asked him with a bit of a teasing tone. Baekhyun frowned at me, his look clearly meaning I shouldn’t be like this too much if I wanted him to speak so I simply smiled, covering a small laugh with my hand before looking away. It was quiet again at our table, Baekhyun sulking in silence while I continued looking around. It wasn’t much of an awkward atmosphere anymore.

 

The sushi arrived a little while after and I eagerly took my chopsticks before starting to eat. My stomach was very pleased with the first piece and I couldn’t stop myself after that. Baekhyun stared at me when I started engulfing everything that was in my plate, a small smile making his lips curve before he began eating as well. 

 

I wasn’t sure if it was because they were free or not, but these sushi were the best I had ever eaten in my entire life. 

 

***

 

It is funny how one’s face can change so quickly after seeing a series of number on a bill. 

 

I was sitting back on my chair, hands resting flat on my completely full belly, when the waiter came to give us the bill. It was a simple movement, really, the small and almost subtle raise of Baekhyun’s left eyebrow when he unfolded the piece of paper and his eyes fell on the filled list of eaten sushi. I saw as his eyes moved down through the list and I held back a laugh when I noticed just how his eyes widened as they landed on the final price. 

 

I was tempted to ask how many numbers were on there, but the twitch of Baekhyun’s lips when his eyes drifted to my own made me think otherwise. I gave him a simple smile instead, the silence weighing heavily between the two of us. The restaurant was almost empty by now. It was way past noon and the waiters were busy cleaning and preparing the tables for the night. 

 

The creaking of Baekhyun’s chair when he pushed it back to stand up seemed to fill the atmosphere with something else than the tension and I was glad, standing up as well, watching as Baekhyun threw a couple of paper bills on the table before putting his hands in his pocket and heading toward the door. 

 

It was rather entertaining, the way he was sulking for absolutely no reasons. He was the one who proposed to pay, after all, there was no reasons for him to be so upset about my large stomach capacity.  _ He  _ proposed the expensive meal, I couldn’t do anything about it. 

 

The clicking of the dishes being moved around was soon replaced by the sound of cars and wind hitting the trees when we made it outside. I followed Baekhyun closely, analyzing his features, trying to determine whether or not he was truly upset, but he soon turned his head toward me and raised an eyebrow, probably wondering why I was looking at him so intently. 

 

“You should have told me you eat like a pig. I would have reconsidered paying you food.” He told me simply before opening the car’s door and getting in. I laughed a bit and got in myself, looking at him, amused. 

 

“Or you should simply assume the decision you took and stop being so sulky about it. Isn’t your government paying for your stays and food anyway?” 

 

Baekhyun simply groaned in answer and I smiled, watching by the window as we left the parking and joined the street that led to the highway again. The car became completely quiet. 

 

It took me a little while to realize I hadn’t even thanked him for the food. Afterall, he did propose to pay and he really did it. And, even though he surely didn’t want to hear it, I bent down to his side of the car, putting on my face one of my most annoying smile: 

 

“Thank you for the free food, Baekhyun oppa~~~~” 

 

I cooed at him with a childish tone but was pushed away faster than I expected, my shoulder bumping against the passenger’s door. “Ow! That’s hurts!” I whined, rubbing my shoulder and looking at him with a pout. 

 

“Don’t ever do that again, it’s very annoying.” He snapped, turning to look at me for a second, his eyes almost sending me flying daggers. “And jeez, don’t ever call me oppa. This is very disturbing and we surely aren’t close enough for that.” He added, looking back at the road. 

 

I raised an eyebrow, surprised by his dry and bossy tone. There was something funny in the way he said this and I found myself giggling as I continued staring at him. When he noticed it, he turned again and I swore I saw his lips twitching, as if he was himself holding a laugh. “How is that suppose to be funny? I’m dead serious, you’re annoying.” He said again and I couldn’t contain another laugh. 

 

“Aww come on! Don’t be such a party-pooper! I can laugh if I want to!” I defended myself, staring at him with a wide smile. Baekhyun slightly turned toward the window and I wasn’t sure if it was a scoff or a small laugh that escaped his lips. I really hoped it was the second option. 

 

I found myself smiling for the next fifteen minutes that followed, completely forgetting Baekhyun’s bitchy attitude for a moment.  _ Even worse, I almost grew a liking for spending time with him. _

 

The car was in complete silence for the next hours, only the sound of the radio filling the vehicle. I noticed how Baekhyun seemed to tap on the wheel with his fingers from time to time, following the beat of the music. I think I even heard him mumble a few lyrics of the songs playing, which was rather surprising considering he always seemed too annoyed to do any of these. 

 

I looked through the window absent-mindedly -this being the only thing I could really do in the car, not that it was truly entertaining, and I found myself thinking about my life back at the university again. It already felt like eternity since I had last put a feet in my apartment by the campus. It seemed like so many days, or weeks, had passed since I left my class in a hurry, yet… yet it hadn’t even been three days since it happened. 

 

_ How could three days seem like so long? _

 

Considering I had learned more about myself than I ever did in my life in only the past few days, it seemed a bit more understandable. Three days… Were my friends wondering where the hell I disappeared? They didn’t even know why I was gone… I wished I could inform them of the trip. 

 

I was going where my biological parents had been. Alive or not, my ultimate goal was to at least get their names, that’s all what truly mattered to me. There was something about protecting me that Baekhyun had mentioned, but once everything would be cleared out, I’d be free to ask every question I wished to ask, which, I hoped, the people there had answers to. There was at least one person that knew why my real parents had abandoned me, right? There must have been, or else maybe this whole thing would have been in vain… 

 

I found myself frowning and shook my head to get rid of the intrusive negative thoughts. Again, my hand reached for my pendant around my neck, only for my fingers to close around nothing. 

 

_ Nothing but air.  _

 

Hopefully, that’s not what I’d be finding once I’d get to the island. 


	7. Chapter 6

# Chapter 6 

* * *

There wasn’t much to do in the car except being bored, really. The days were getting longer and longer. When we got in the vehicle on the fourth day of ride, I couldn’t believe we weren’t there yet. Even worse, I was wondering how it was possible for us not to be on the other side of the world already. It seemed like we’d been driving for millions of miles, yet, apparently, it was only a thousand or so since we weren’t even on the coast yet.

 

“Couldn’t we take a plane or something? Wouldn’t it have been so much quicker? Plus, we wouldn’t be chased or anything! I mean it surely didn’t take you days to drive to my place since you were at EXO’s concert in the morning. So, didn’t you take a plane?” I asked, looking over at him and noticing he had another arrogant smile on his face.

 

“So you watched a streaming of the concert? How cute.” He teased, looking over at me and chuckling. I immediately frowned and looked back at the window, covering my colored cheeks with my hands.

 

“My attention was everywhere but on you, don’t worry.”

 

“Uh uh, right, sure, I totally believe you.” He answered, looking at me before reporting his attention on the road. There was a short silence before I spoke again.

 

“That surely wasn’t the point to my question, though. Why couldn’t we take the plane?”

 

“The plane would have been dangerous. We should have taken a human one to the coast first, and then a special one to bring us to Anis, but it’s not so easy to pass the air borders without attracting the attention. No one knows about this, even in Anis, and no one should. Once at the coast, we’ll have a private boat waiting for us. It’s safer this way.” Baekhyun explained and I groaned.

 

Maybe he was right, but time was still passing agonizingly slowly.

 

I tapped my feet on the floor of the car to the rhythm of the music as I looked through the window. I was holding onto my purse that was resting on my lap and I looked down into it, staring at the black box.

 

_My pendant._

 

I took the small box out and stared at it. It was strangely warm in my hands. I turned it around, scrutinizing the material but I couldn’t really make out if it was made in some sort of rock or not.

 

“Be careful with that. The sightless opening of it could possibly make your necklace able to give out our location.” Baekhyun warned me and I sighed, putting the box back in my bag and looking at him.

 

“How can you even be so sure there’s a tracking device in it anyways? And why didn’t you check it yet? I honestly don’t think someone would actually put that in there, especially my mom.” I told him, crossing my hands on my chest.

 

Baekhyun let out a low groan. “We never know, Eunji. I’ll just check it later. I have a lot of things to think about right now, so checking this out is clearly not my priority. I also would prefer not to do this before we get to Anis. If it ever gives out our position while we’re still here, it could be dangerous. We’ll be safe in Anis, just wait a bit more.”

 

His tone was annoyed and harsh, and even though his words did make sense -only a bit, though, I couldn’t get myself to agree with him. “Do you perhaps know how important this necklace is for me? It’s the only thing I have left from my parents! I never remove it, it’s a part of me.” I retorted to him, holding tighter onto my bag. I soon realized, by the expression he had on his face, that my emotional arguments wouldn’t do anything on him. “And if these people looking for us really were able to track me with this, don’t you think they would have done it sooner? It’s just a necklace!”

 

Convinced I was right, my hand reached in my purse for the box, but Baekhyun’s loud sigh stopped me. “Sure, it’s just a necklace. Alright, then remove it from there. Just wear it, I don’t care. But when these people will find us, and when _you_ will realize you’re _wrong_ , it’ll be over and you’ll already be 6 feet underground, mourning in your grave.”

 

I gulped and looked down, my hand still around the black box. Baekhyun took the next exit and drove to the closest gas station, the whole car completely silent until he stopped the engine and looked at me.

 

“If you want to risk your life that badly, and _mine_ , too, well just do it. I mean, getting tortured to death might be so incredibly worth wearing a damn pendant, isn’t it?”

 

His smile was filled with sarcasm, his eyes seemingly darker than the usual, not without a glimpse of gold, as he took his wallet and stepped outside to fill the tank. I stayed there, looking down at my bag and cursing inwardly. Was it him that was purely horrible and rude toward me, or was it me who was too dumb and attached to my pendant to realize the real danger it could represent? The only thing I was sure of, though, is that guilt was taking over me as the seconds passed and it made me even angrier. I didn’t want to be wrong about this. I truly believed my necklace was harmless.

 

_But what did I know? Me who had been so useless and unconscious of everything since the beginning?_

 

I was lost in my thoughts, trying to clean out the different emotions creeping up until there was a loud bang on the driver’s window. I jumped in my seat, turning my head to find Baekhyun’s smashed on the window. His cheek was pressed tightly on the surface and my eyes widened in surprise.

 

“What the-”

 

I had no time to think about anything, the passenger’s door soon being violently opened and I was dragged out of the car. I immediately started screaming, randomly wriggling around as two arms wrapped around my body to stop me from moving. I was stuck there, looking around frantically as I spotted Baekhyun in about the same position, defending himself and cursing loudly at the person handling him.

 

When he looked up, our eyes met, mine sending him begs for help while his were still rather calm… almost… upset at me?

 

_Okay, stop struggling, you’re really not helping yourself right now. What you’re doing is only wasting your energy._

 

I stopped moving in realization. I was too panicked to even think about this. Baekhyun probably noticed I understood because he quickly looked away, sending his elbows backward to deliver a rather strong hit in the man who was holding him. I took a shaky breath, all the information of that night coming back to my mind and I took half of a second to mentally prepare myself. This was a very bad situation, I needed to avoid any panic. As if I could.

 

_First, to weaken your opponent, the best would be to gain enough balance and send him a kick right in the balls._

 

Anyone would say it’s hard to keep a composure in such a situation, especially when it happens for real and your life is truly in danger. It couldn’t be more right. I was panicking, my heart pounding so fast the man could probably feel it. I groaned, struggling some more before letting out the loudest scream I ever did. Somehow the adrenaline rushing through my body reached its peak and my left foot was lifted from the ground, hitting the man right between his legs.

 

I soon realized I probably went way too hard when I heard him yell and curse. He lost his balance and I pushed his arms away without any difficulty, now that he was concentrating on something else than his grip on me. I turned around, almost ready to finish him off, but he stumbled around before collapsing on the asphalt, holding his groin and cursing still.

 

I found myself smiling in victory, mentally congratulating myself for getting out of this so well. I couldn’t even feel any guilt at that moment, only immense proud because, hell, I had just put a guy twice my weight to the ground.

 

“Eunji! Careful!”

 

My thoughts were interrupted abruptly and I turned around, staring at another of the man as he rushed toward me. My eyes widened as I tried to think about something, anything, that would prevent myself from getting in trouble again. I only had a mere second to think and I unconsciously moved up my fist, delving an unknown force from the deepest of my core before sending him a punch right in the face. The man barely had time to avoid it, receiving my fist on the nose.

 

Pain cramped up my wrist as the man crashed on the ground. I watched with wide eyes as I saw blood running down from his nose. “Oh my god, Baekhyun, did you see that?! I just knocked him out!” I yelled at him, wanting to look up when movements caught my eyes on my left and I moved quickly, the same guy from earlier coming back.

 

Seems like the groin pain wasn’t enough.

 

I moved myself into position, preparing the second blow since it had worked rather well on the other, but the man seemed to have guessed my tactic and he took a hold of my wrist immediately when I went to hit him.

 

His grip was incredibly tight and I made a face, wincing and trying to get away. I whimpered as he moved closer, fear and panic showing up and completely replacing the adrenaline. I stared back, imagining the worst of scenarios.

 

“Now, listen to me, you li-”

 

The man was stopped in his words as a foot appeared in my vision and collided with his face. He must have been surprised just as much as me because he immediately let go of my forearm and I moved back quickly as the man fell back down, this time very probably unable to stand back up. Baekhyun’s feet hit back the ground again and he looked at the man with a face of disgust.

 

“You.. Y-You kicked him!” I mumbled, watching as he fixed his shirt and looked around, completely ignoring my words.

 

“Good for us there wasn’t anyone here. The employee in the convenient store will probably call the police, though. Let’s get out of here.” He said and immediately rushed to the car. I followed him, spotting the last man, the one who was previously holding on Baekhyun, on the ground as well, knocked out. I shivered and got in the car, not even having time at all the buckle up as Baekhyun was hitting the road again, speeding back to the highway.

 

We were both completely quiet after that. I spent most of the time rubbing my sore fist while he kept his eyes on the road, too often checking in the mirrors to see if any car seemed to follow us.

 

The tank hadn’t been filled at all, so we had to stop by another gas station further on the road. I waited nervously as Baekhyun was outside, making sure to lock my door and look around, my heart still pounding madly. I wasn’t sure if it had ever stopped beating so fast since then.

 

When Baekhyun got back in the car, I saw he locked his door as well before sighing and resting against his seat, closing his eyes. I watched him as he stayed like this for a couple of minutes, only breathing heavily, probably trying to understand how these people had found us.

 

“So, you did have the extreme audacity of opening the box. For fuck’s sake, Eunji, why can’t you just listen to me when I tell you something!” He yelled suddenly, hitting the steering wheel with his fist before looking at me.

 

I was shocked to see fear, and not anger, filling his dark brown eyes. I blinked in confusion, biting onto my bottom lip. “I-I didn’t even open it…” Was all I found to answer. And it was true, I felt bad enough after what he had told me earlier. I wouldn’t have opened it.

 

Baekhyun probably realized he went too far and his body relaxed a bit. He passed a hand through his hair before rubbing his forehead. “Sorry..” He mumbled almost inaudibly, probably not very willing to say that word. “Are you alright? You’re hurt somewhere?” He added and I looked up immediately, shocked by his sudden question.

 

_Why did he care?_

 

I looked down at my wrist and nodded slowly. “I… I’m fine.. I think I hit the first one too hard, though, and the guy’s hold was pretty hard. Maybe it’ll bruise, but it’s not anything important.” I said, looking up at him again and attempting a smile. “That kick was nice, though. I didn’t know you could jump this high.” I added, trying my best to at least try and untense the atmosphere.

 

And it did work a bit. Baekhyun let out a faint smile and started the engine, heading back to the highway. “Thanks. Your punch was not bad either. Not quick enough, though, and the technique isn’t completely mastered, but for a first time, I’d say you managed to control your panic rather well.”

 

I smiled as well, a bit shocked yet pleased by his words. “I don’t even know how I did it, to be honest…“ I mumbled, looking through the window and sighing. “God.. I wish I won’t have to do this kind of thing again..” I thought out loud and heard Baekhyun chuckle beside me.

 

“Oh, trust me, this probably only was a little warm up.”

 

***

 

As the adrenaline faded, I slowly regained a better control of my mental. It didn’t take too long for me to come to the realization that it truly happened. I felt my heartbeat increase again and I nervously replaced a strand of hair behind my ear.

 

It didn’t feel this bad back at the restaurant. They had barely seen us and we had managed to escape without needing to get to this point. But just earlier we came so close to getting… caught.

 

It wasn’t some sort of joke. It was real, we truly were in danger. There were people around us, tracking us, wishing to do whatever was possible to get their hands on us and now that we had been so close to it I felt more scared than I ever did before.

 

Then, of course, after the fear, came the anger, the confusion. Why in the world did some people wish to catch us? What did I even do to deserve this? Nothing! _Absolutely nothing!_ But there I was, having to use my fists, which I had never done before, having to use violence, which I also hadn’t ever used before -well, the physical one anyways- to ensure I would survive this ride to the other side of the country.

 

This truly seemed like some action movie I’d go watch with my friends. A rather nice one, if you’d ask me. _I mean… have you seen the male lead?_ I wouldn’t have minded staring at the screen and eating popcorn while the rest of the story unfolded before me. Because I would say “Well I’m glad this didn’t happen to me”

 

But _no, I had to be the female lead in it._

 

I turned to Baekhyun and watched him as he drove. I realized I didn’t have much difficulty hiding my fangirl instincts anymore. Of course, he was still EXO’s Baekhyun, but for the past few days, he’d been a little brat who forcefully threw me into the depths of an adventure I would never have thought of. He was just a human -or, well, physically speaking, since he never told me what we truly were- with who I fought for survival. It was getting harder to imagine him as anything else the more I stared at him.

 

When he noticed my glare, he briefly looked at me before looking back at the road. “What are you thinking about?” He asked me suddenly and I frowned a bit. He would usually ask me with a harsh tone if he had something on his face, but this time, he used neither of them.

 

“Nothing.”

 

I probably answered way too quickly and he assumed I just didn’t want to say it. “Tell me.” He tried again, letting his eyes divert my way again. “If it’s about these guys and something that could he-”

 

I rolled my eyes and sighed. “No, it doesn’t have anything to do with that.” I cut him short and frowned again when I saw his lips form a smirk.

 

“So you were thinking about something while staring at me. And it _definitely_ has something to do with my handsome face, right?”

 

His last words made me choke on whatever saliva I had in my mouth. I coughed and reached for my water bottle beside me, gulping down as much water as possible. Once I looked back at him he still had his annoying smirk glued on his face.

 

“You know what?” I started, trying to find the best retort possible to make him harshly fall down from his cloud but nothing came out. I scoffed and stared back at the window. “I hope you know you might not be able to ever get out of this car considering how big your ego is. I don’t even know how you managed to get in in the first place!”

 

Baekhyun laughed at that, not at all offended by my words. “You could have answered yes to my question, you know? What you just said means exactly the same, except this was a very poorly way of trying to insult me instead.”

 

I somehow wanted to scream. To yell something so incredibly clever right at his face so he never would even think about picking on me again. But, of course, nothing really bloomed in my mind. My smart retort was anything but there.

 

With an exaggerated sigh of extreme annoyance, I reached for the volume button and turned it up until the song playing made the car’s speakers vibrate with the loud bass. Baekhyun frowned and looked over at me as I moved my head with the beat of the music.

 

“Was that necessary? Why is it so loud?!” He had to yell to cover the sound, reaching to turn down the volume a bit but I stopped him.

 

“Can’t I just appreciate the music? It’s way more interesting than your incessant blabbering anyways!” I screamed back, my eyes challenging his own until he looked back at the road again. His hands were tightly holding onto the steering wheel and I smiled a bit, strangely feeling proud to be able to bother him this much.

 

The incredibly loud volume did bother me as well. It was _way too_ loud, but I had too much pride to lower it a bit. It was clearly a childish behavior, but he had started it and needed to taste his own medicine.

 

It surely was an incredibly pleasant entertainment to see him savor the sour taste of defeat.


	8. Chapter 7

#  Chapter 7

 

“Come on, Eunji, wake up.”

 

I was nudged lightly on the shoulder and I groaned, waking up and attempting to open my eyes. The sun wasn’t up in the sky anymore, it was right at my eyes level and I winced, closing them again as I sat straighter on the passenger seat. I opened my eyes again, letting them adjust to the light before looking at my surroundings.

 

Baekhyun was already out of the car, opening the back door to get his bag and looking over at me. “I think you’ll be happy to see where we’re at.” He said simply and I frowned, the utopian idea of being back to my apartment as if nothing had happened popping in my mind, but I knew better. I looked back at where the sun was slowly setting, covering it with my palm so I could see something and I smiled immediately. _Finally._

 

_The Pacific Ocean._

 

Just with that, I regained my energy and I got out of the car, taking my stuff as well and following Baekhyun to the port. It was huge, immense boats parked here and there by the coast, probably filled with either passengers or diverse merchandise. Baekhyun had parked the car in a small parking probably made for people who were just willing to walk around and enjoy the view of the never-ending waves of the ocean. We reached an elevated platform that followed the whole port and, before Baekhyun could continue, I stopped by the metal fence and put my bag to the ground, leaning my forearms on the pole and staring right in front of me.

 

The water reflected the sun and its bright red, orange, and pink colors. The sky was like an infinite rainbow, from the bright yellow to the West to the dark purple of the night to the East. Never had I ever seen the sunset in the ocean like this. Its colors were mixing with the sea as if it was sharing its magnificence with the waves before making one with them. The sun was almost touching the horizon by now, and soon it would be engulfed by the ocean, leaving us only with the dark blue palette painting the sky.

 

As I continued staring, I saw from the corner of my eyes that Baekhyun was doing the same, leaning on the metal fence beside me as well, staring absent-mindedly at the ocean.

 

“It’s so beautiful…” I whispered, my voice barely audible with the sounds of the waves hitting the cement platform and the seagulls flying around and actively screaming at each other.

 

Baekhyun looked at me for a second before looking in front of him again and nodding slowly. “It’s been awhile since I last took the time to watch the sunset.” He admitted. I turned my head to look at him but his eyes stayed glued on the sky. “It’s hard to remember to take the time to enjoy these small things when you have such a busy life.” He added and I smiled a bit. I had never heard him say such a thing since we met.

 

I nodded slowly in answer and looked back at the sun, surprised by how red it had become already. We stayed like this, resting against the fence, watching the sun continue its journey down until it started disappearing under the horizon. When the violet of the night became almost the only color in the sky, Baekhyun straightened again and put his bag on his shoulder.

 

“Okay, let’s go. The boat is probably waiting for us somewhere.” He said and I nodded, taking my bag as well and following him. Now that the sun was down, the temperature seemed to have dropped suddenly and I shivered, the harsh wind of the coast piercing through my thin shirt.

 

The walk became rather long and I started wondering why Baekhyun had parked the car this far from where the boat was supposed to be. We passed by the imposing steamers and I had the chance to have a better look at them. We continued our way, climbing down a few set of stairs as the platform lowered itself closer and closer to the water level. We passed a few yachts and smaller private boats, probably parked there for the summer and continued all the way to the end, one last boat standing there with a man sitting by it, smoking.

 

I didn’t really know what to expect when I imagined a private boat bringing us to the island. I was surprised none the less at the sight of the old-looking fishermen boat. It could probably hold a group of a dozen of people in it. It looked big enough to go at a decent speed, but not too much so it wouldn’t attract the attention.

 

The man spotted us walking toward him and he raised, finishing his cigarette before throwing it on the ground and stepping on it. He then slipped his hands in his pockets, watching with curious eyes until we were a few feet before him.

 

“You must be Baekhyun Byun.” He said after clearing his throat and the male beside me nodded. “Well, folks, I go by Billy, a fisherman since my teens. Bill is fine, too. Whatever floats your boat.” He greeted, laughing at his own bad pun before reaching for Baekhyun’s hand. I expected him to grimace, maybe make a slight face of disgust, but he simply smiled politely and shook the guy’s hand.

 

Billy had a dark skin tone, and by his facial features, I guessed he was Afro-American. The man was wearing old clothes, stained with, what I figured, the traces of his work on the boat. His beard hadn’t been cleaned for a while, white strands of hair scattered here in there, showing signs of the time he spent in this world. His hair, if he had any, were covered by a fisherman’s hat.

 

I took more time inspecting his eyes, them being just as dark as the night. Gold sparkles started to wash away the darkness in his orbs when he turned to look at me, probably noticing I was staring. I realized I must have looked impolite and I quickly looked down, bowing my head.

 

“Nice to meet you, I am Eun-”

 

“Eunjoon. Her name is Eunjoon.” I was cut short by Baekhyun and the man raised an eyebrow, his eyes moving from Baekhyun to me before he seemed to shrug it off and shook my hand as well. I spared one single glance at Baekhyun before I looked at the boat again. Billy followed my eyes and a smile lighted upon his face.

 

“This is Violetta. She might seem old but she’s still as feisty as in the old days. Don’t judge a boat by its frame, folks, that’s what my old man always said.” He told us, and I could see his eyes sparkling when he looked at his boat. Both Baekhyun and I frowned a bit and, noticing the uneasiness, Billy coughed and showed us the way.

 

“Let’s not stay here for too long, we have a few days of ride ahead and I don’t think William wants you two late.”

 

We crossed the small catwalk to the boat and I almost wanted to ask Baekhyun who was this William. I kept my mouth shut, though, and curiously looked around as we were invited inside.

 

There were two sets of stairs, one leading up, probably to the driver’s room, and another leading further into the boat’s cave. Billy went down, flipping a switch and light filled the small room. There was a large table in the center with chairs dispersed around. A few kitchen supplies were on the right while there was a couch on the left. Everything seemed out of place, maybe a bit too fancy for an old fisherman boat. All the furniture seemed _brand new_.

 

I wasn’t the only one shocked by the sight. Baekhyun’s eyes widened as well and Billy chuckled at our expression. “Told ya she was still feisty.” He said simply, walking further to the opposite side of the room to another door. We followed him in the corridor where a couple doors were closed. The end of the hallway was a dead end.

 

“These are all bedrooms for two. The last door on the left is the bathroom. You’re free to choose the one you prefer, but the first on the left is mine, folks, and I’m the type to prefer keeping a certain privacy.” He said, accenting his last word and we both nodded slowly. Seeing we got the message, the man clapped his hands and gave us a smile.

 

“All settled, then! Once I’ll be done untying Violetta from the dock, we’ll be good to go. We’ll be sailing all night, so I hope none of you folks got a problem with the swaying sea.”

 

We both reassured him, even though I had no idea if I did since I had never taken a boat before, and the man let us be, going back upstairs to prepare our leave. Baekhyun immediately chose the first door on his right, but before he could get inside, I stopped him.

 

“Are you going to sleep already?” I asked him and he looked at my side before shaking his head.

 

“I’ll go watch the ocean after I’m done dropping my things.” He explained to me and I nodded. We both stayed still for a few seconds, staring at each other. “Are you perhaps waiting for me to tell you that it’s okay if you join?” He asked suddenly and my eyes widened a bit. I wasn’t sure if his tone was teasing or truly annoyed.

 

“What? N-No I-”

 

“It’s fine. I’ll be on the front of the boat.”

 

Baekhyun stepped in his small room before I could say anything and he closed the door behind him, leaving me alone in the tiny corridor. There was a dull silence, everything was too quiet. I felt a shiver run down my spine and quickly hurried to the closest door, walking inside the bedroom and shutting myself inside.

 

Once I turned on the light, I dropped my bag on one of the two beds and looked around. The room was small but rather cozy. Two beds were in each of the door’s furthest corners. Between them stood two bed tables and there was a round window at about my eyes level. The roof was low, but not enough to make me feel uncomfortable. There were two drawers on each side of the room, a tall lamp on one side of the door and a desk on the other.

 

I spotted a few paintings of boats and one fake plant on one of the drawers, but the decoration stopped there. I sat on the mattress, moving back until my shoulders were resting against the wall and I leaned my chin on my knees, staring blankly at the wall in front of me.

 

Spending four days constantly being in the company of Baekhyun had gotten to me. Now that I was alone, having all the space I needed to be at ease and do whatever I wished to do, I felt like something, a presence, was missing. The other bed on the other side of the room was empty and I almost wished to see Baekhyun walk in and drop a snarky remark at me while he emptied his bag.

 

I shook my head. _No._ I was supposed to enjoy the bit of freedom I was given, not miss the constant monitoring. I smiled, convincing myself that this was exactly what I needed after these four days and I stood, sighing in relief and stretching a bit.

 

“I will be able to do whatever pleases me. I will be able to be alone and walk around freely. This will b-”

 

There was a loud thud and I felt like my surroundings started moving. I headed to the small window, watching as the distance between us and the docks started getting bigger. The boat was starting its trip on the ocean.

 

I felt excitement run throughout my veins at that thought. I was finally leaving the country. That was when my journey to the unknown would officially begin.

 

***

 

I was glad I thought about buying a vest back in the mall, or I probably wouldn’t have survived more than five minutes outside of the boat. There was a soft but cold wind blowing when I stepped out and I tightened the thick fabric around me, looking around in search of Baekhyun.

 

The night was quiet, only the sounds of the waves hitting the boat could be heard. As I looked around, I saw the coast had become a line of lights in the distance. The rest of the horizon was in complete darkness, a billion of stars filling the sky since there wasn’t any lights to pollute the firmament.

 

I followed the edge of the boat to get on the front side. The platform was rather large, the sides near the fences filled with fishing equipment I knew nothing about. It took me a while before I finally spotted Baekhyun sitting on the floor against a wall. His knees were up to his chest, eyes staring up at the sky.

 

Sitting like this, he almost looked like a lost kid pleading the sky to lead him to his right path. Nothing of him screamed famous or singer. He looked just like any other person who would be staring at the stars with an empty mind. Wasn’t it what he truly was anyway? Just a normal man with normal thoughts, normal passions, normal desires, normal fears.

 

Sitting like this, Baekhyun looked terrifyingly _normal_.

 

He didn’t bother to look at me when I sat beside him, opting for the same position and resting my head against the wall, eyes turned up toward the night. The view and the sound of the waves seemed to bring nothing but peace in my mind. I breathed out heavily, as if letting go of all the pressure that had built up in my chest from the previous days. Steam formed in the cold air and disappeared just as quickly as it came. I wished all our fears and problems could evaporate just as quickly.

 

“Who is this William Billy was talking about?” I asked after a couple minutes of silence, not able to keep the question for myself anymore. I hoped the calming atmosphere would make Baekhyun more inclined to answer my questions, which it did.

 

“Remember what I told you about the people that rule over the island?” He asked me without diverting his eyes from the stars. I nodded. “William is from the bloodline of our first chef. Which gives him the title of First Superior.” Baekhyun explained, his gaze lost somewhere in the sky. “He’s the one who asked my mentor to assign me this mission to come and get you.” I looked over at him after his last words, noticing a small twitch of his upper lip after he spoke.

 

“A mentor?”

 

“When you accept to be part of the government’s agents, they will give you a mentor to help you train. Mentors are the mediators between the superiors and us, basically. They have been chosen after their retirement and consist of the most skilled retired agents.”

 

I nodded and looked at him for a while, wondering what Baekhyun’s mentor was like. I stared for a bit longer, taking the time to take in every little detail about his features that I could possibly have missed before.

 

“Is Chanyeol really your favorite?”

 

His question took me by surprise and I frowned. That was a very abrupt and unexpected change of subject. I scoffed and looked back at the stars, taking some time to think my words out.

 

“What? Are you really _that_ disappointed that you aren’t at his place?”

 

“It’s not that.” He said quickly, shrugging before looking over at me. “I was just wondering why is it that you prefer such a tall dork.”

 

I laughed at that and it was my turn to shrug, keeping my eyes up as I tried to think about an answer. “I think he just seems like a very nice guy. He can play instruments, write songs, rap, even sing, and he’s playful, tall, friendly, he al-“

 

“There’s no need to make an eternal list, jeez. Are you going to name every quality in the dictionary with that?” He blurted out suddenly and I stopped, looking over at him and frowning.

 

“There’s no need to be so rude about it! You’re the one who asked me why he was my favorite.” I retorted, watching him before a small smile appeared on my lips. I slowly leaned in and bumped my shoulder against his.

 

“Are you perhaps jealous that he has more talents than you?” I teased him, which earned me a scoff and a harder bump on my shoulder.

 

“There you are, being so damn annoying all over again.” He mumbled to himself, crawling away a bit before looking back at the sky. I raised an eyebrow, completely taken aback as to how he could change behavior so quickly. That wasn’t normal.

 

“What’s wrong with your changes of attitude all the time? Whenever you become nice for a minute it’s like you snap back to your rude self all over again! Why are you stopping yourself from being nice to me?!” I snapped, staring right at him. He kept his eyes away and it seemed like it frustrated me even more. How were we both supposed to try and at least enjoy this trip if he was constantly throwing brutal retorts at me?

 

“And what if I was actually forcing myself to be nice to you? What if I _truly_ think you’re annoying?” Baekhyun asked me, still looking at the opposite direction. I froze at his words, frowning even more.

 

“So you’re saying you’re naturally mean, then? That you need to force yourself to be nice for not even a second? Are you being a bitch just to me or to everyone else, too? Okay, yeah, sure! Then what about that personality you put up in front of cameras, huh? You’ll tell me you force it out, too?!”

 

There was a long, thick silence when I stopped speaking. I could have gone for longer, I could have found the worst words to try and force him to be guilty for treating me like this over the past days, but seeing how he didn’t even seem to be phased by anything I’d say, I simply stopped, staring at the back of his head.

 

I didn’t realize I was teary until a bitter wind blew in my face, my eyes tingling with the cold. I quickly brushed my hands over them and continued staring, waiting for Baekhyun to speak first.

 

“And what if it was the case?”

 

There was something off with the way he said those words. They were too neutral. There was no tone in his voice when he spoke.

 

“So you’re telling me you do play pretend in front of all of everyone? You’re admitting that behind this playful and outgoing singer there’s a snobbish, selfish and disrespectful guy?”

 

Another silence. There was another hit of the wind and, this time, tears had been falling on my cheeks, freezing my skin as they were cooled by the cold night. Of course, I was well-aware that people aren’t always what they show. It could have been anyone who showed one appearance but were the complete opposite. But Byun Baekhyun? Would he admit so easily he was hiding another personality? It seemed false to me. There surely was something off to it. It couldn’t be true.

 

“Sorry to disappoint, I guess.”

 

With these words, Baekhyun stood and put his hands in his pocket, glancing at the stars one last time before heading back inside. I swallowed thickly, watching as he left without a word or glance and I looked back up at the sky.

 

He was lying. There was no other option. During the rare moments he had been acting nice, never would I have thought he was acting it. He couldn’t be. His smiles looked genuine, just as his eyes showed that there was no lie in the way he was being. During these rare moments, he was being himself. I knew it.

 

Yet his nonchalance and unphased attitude showed the complete opposite, but I wanted to believe he was just good at telling things that he didn’t mean.

_But then, wouldn’t he be also good at making me think he is genuinely nice when he isn’t?_

I groaned loudly and hid my face between my knees, blinking rapidly to stop the tears from forming in my eyes. Why was I even crying? I should have cried because of how in danger I was being, not because a certain idol admitted he was acting nice toward everyone when he truly wouldn’t.

 

After a couple curses at myself, I stood, wiping the dust from my pants before heading back inside. I was cold and tired and a good night of sleep would probably help. Not like there was much more to do anymore.

 

***

 

If I had managed to fall asleep right when my head touched the pillow, once I woke up to an unknown time, I certainly wasn’t able to do so again.

 

Of course, attempts after attempts to fall back asleep were all in vain and I kept staring at the ceiling, completely awake. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the nervousness of being oh so close to the truth or if a part of myself kept rethinking about the last conversation I had with Baekhyun. It was probably both.

 

I sighed loudly and covered my face with the blanket. My eyes hurt with exhaustion, all I wanted was to sleep still but my mind wasn’t letting me the chance to do so at all. I stayed in this position for a bit, the silence engulfing the room again until one sound broke it.

 

My stomach growling.

 

I frowned a bit and removed the blanket, sitting up. I suddenly realized we had barely eaten any diner. Well, I didn’t know about Baekhyun since I was asleep in the car before we arrived to the Ocean, but I surely didn’t and my stomach thought _this_ was the best moment to let me know about it.

 

With another sigh, I stood and put my vest back on, exiting my small room to the dark corridor that led to the center room. I shivered, and looked around. At night, this hallway became rather eerie and I hurried my steps to the other room. I found myself going slower once I reached Baekhyun’s door, though, until I froze. He was probably sleeping. The area was completely quiet. Or…  

 

I raised an eyebrow, leaning my ear closer to Baekhyun’s door. Was it a distant cheering that I could hear? I wasn’t really sure. He might have been watching something on his phone and didn’t bother to put earphones. I rested my ear against the door and closed my eyes, trying to identify the nature of the noise. The more I concentrated, the clearer it became. _My enhanced hearing, maybe?_ I closed my eyes tighter until it almost felt like I was right beside him, listening to it.

 

_“...so many people tonight! We’re so happy to see you again. Are you excited for the night to come, Busan?”_

 

Was that Junmyeon’s voice? I frowned a bit but continued listening, rather thankful to my online Korean lessons. There was a loud cheer of the crowd until, this time, it was Chanyeol who spoke.

 

_“You’re probably wondering where Baekhyun is tonight, right? He is going well, please don’t worry, but due to personal issues he won’t be able to make it for the upcoming concerts. Let’s look forward to his return, but for now, let’s enjoy this beautiful night!”_

 

I moved my head back from the door and immediately I stopped hearing whatever was happening on Baekhyun’s phone. I rested against the wall beside his door and bit my bottom lip.

 

There was a concert going on and he couldn’t attend it because he was stuck here to fulfill a mission. He probably wouldn’t be able to attend a few others either, but he took the time to watch his members perform without him, probably envying them.

 

Was it why he always seemed so frustrated around me? Because I was the reason why he couldn’t do what he really wanted to? I felt guilt hit me in the stomach but I tried pushing it away as much as I could.

 

It wasn’t entirely my fault. The government could have chosen anyone but him to do this mission, but he still chose to throw his frustration at _me_.

 

At this point, I wasn’t very sure if I was supposed to be angry at him or not.


	9. Chapter 8

# Chapter 8

 

When I woke up the next morning, the room was already lighted up by the sun’s rays shining through the small round window. I groaned and stretched under the blankets before sitting up and rubbing my eyes, forcing them open.

 

I smiled a bit to myself. I was alone, and most importantly, I hadn’t been woken up so incredibly early by an annoying voice threatening me at dawn. I had just woken up by myself and that simple thought seemed to make my morning seem better. The idea of having to support Baekhyun after the earlier day’s events didn’t really bother me. At least we weren’t stuck in the same small place all day long. I surely wouldn’t miss his snob self.

 

_Or wouldn’t I really?_

 

I shivered and decided to stand up, taking some clothes to put on quickly before heading out of my room to wander around a bit. I wasn’t hungry yet, so breakfast could wait a bit. I decided to go explore around the boat instead.

 

I got in the center room, immediately spotting Baekhyun on the couch with a book. I didn’t bother sparing a glance at him and, from the corner of my eyes, I noticed he didn’t either as I walked throughout the room to the set of stairs leading outside. I stopped at the door and turned, eyeing the stairs that brought to what I had guessed was the command room.

 

We hadn’t been warned not to go in there, so I figured it would be fine if I eyed it for a little moment. Curiosity took over and I walked up. There wasn’t any door, the stairs leading directly to the large room. I peeked in and looked around. Windows were filling the front and sides walls, the back one filled with all sort of machines.

 

I heard someone clearing their throat and I yelped, quickly turning around to face Billy, the fisherman, looking at me with an amused look, his hands resting on his hips. My eyes widened and I backed up a bit.

 

“Oh.. I… Sorry, I didn’t think yo-”

 

Billy started laughing at that, a kind of laughter that was comforting enough for me to realize there was nothing to be sorry for. “Young ma’am, why are you apologizing? I never said this room was forbidden. On the contrary, come over if you’re curious!” He beamed to me and I smiled, taking a few steps closer to the command panel he was in front of. I looked up through the windows, seeing nothing but water all around us.

 

“Have you ever been on a boat, Eunjoon?”

 

It took me a couple seconds to remember how Baekhyun had changed my name, probably to be cautious, and I shook my head, looking down at the various buttons and radars curiously. There seemed to be so many things to keep track of while driving this.

 

When I looked more closely, I frowned a bit, realizing there wasn’t many lights turned on or flashing. The radars’ screens weren’t on either. When I looked at the machines behind me, I noticed they seemed turned off as well. All we could hear was the sound of the boat moving forward.

 

“Why are all the machines off…? Do you… really know where you’re going..?” I asked, trying not to sound too impolite about it. Billy immediately looked offended, frowning a bit and eyeing me in silence. I gulped, staring back at him.

 

It continued like this for a few seconds and I started to feel more and more uneasy. “You seem not to know very much about our genetically given abilities. Am I wrong, young ma’am?”

 

I was a bit surprised by the direct question. I wasn’t very sure if I understood the link between my question and his, but there must have been one if he was able to notice it this easily. I couldn’t really lie, so I shook my head and looked away, rubbing the back of neck.

 

I heard the man chuckle a bit before he started talking : “Well, you see, I have become a fisherman for a reason. My dad did as well, and so did my grandfather and his father, and so on.” He said, turning around the face the numerous machines around the boat. “My family was given the opportunity to become men and women of water. We didn’t choose it, but we all embrace it. Our love for the seas never faded over the generations.”

 

Billy seemed lost in his own thoughts as he spoke. I smiled a bit, watching him for a bit before looking around the different command panels again. “And what exactly is your ability?” I asked, seeing how his eyes sparkled when he looked at me.

 

“No matter where I am or where I need to go, if it’s on the sea, I won’t ever need any map to guide myself! One could drop me in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and I’d find my way back home faster than you’d ever think!” He spoke proudly and I chuckled.

 

“That’s a very nice ability. It must be very useful when you’re fisherman. It does suit the job very well.” I said and Billy hummed, nodding slowly before his smiled faded away.

 

“It is useful, yes, but it doesn’t mean it was looked at well back in Anis..” He mumbled, rubbing his chin before looking over at me, brows furrowing. “When I was a kid, the others in the neighborhood knew about my old man being a fisherman and having this ability. All my childhood, we all knew I was going to end up inheriting it and the other kids didn’t have the same opinion as you about it, sadly.

 

“I always loved the sea since I had the age to follow my old man on his boat, so I was happy to take on his work when he retired. Puberty didn’t surprise me with some random ability, and I was happy with it. It’s not something you can brag about very easily when you’re living in the city, but among fishermen, it’s easier to gain recognition. This is mainly why the government approaches me now and then for various missions around. Sometimes it’s more entertaining than hunting for the fishes.”

 

The man chuckled again, and looked at the ocean in front of us, thoughtful. “The superiors didn’t tell me much about why they need you in Anis and who you are, though. They kept me away from many more secrets than they usually do…” He said, looking over at me again. It seemed like his eyes filled with worry. “I’m not the type of person who tends to disrespect people’s privacy simply out of curiosity, don’t get me wrong here, but I know by experience that the less I know about a mission, the more important it is.

 

“Young ma’am, you’re quite of a unique and special lady, aren’t you?”

 

I didn’t really know what to answer to this. Billy noticed my uneasiness and chuckled again. “Whatever it is, I wish you a good luck in your journey.” He added, sending me a wink and I smiled.

 

“Thank you, Billy.”

 

The man sent me a warm smile before looking at the sea again. He stretched and yawned before checking a few things on the panels in front of him. “I should be good for a little nap. You go and enjoy your free time, young ma’am. I bet you won’t be having lots once you’ll step off this boat!”

 

I nodded and smiled, thanking him, and watching as he walked down the stairs. I stayed there for a couple more minutes, walking more freely around the room, checking all the machines, and trying to guess their purposes. I then reported my eyes to the endless ocean. There was a thin, barely perceptible line between the sky and the water. The only difference was the shade of blue. I stared in awe with an empty mind and I smiled. I was indeed well-aware I probably wouldn’t have much free time when I would arrive to the island. Things would change even more, and I had nothing except courage to prepare myself for what was to come.

 

***

 

I walked back down to the center room when my stomach reminded me I still hadn’t had breakfast. I eyed the couch quickly, sparing one fast glance to Baekhyun, who was still reading, before heading toward the fridge to get something to eat. I didn’t know if he noticed me or not but I couldn’t really care.

 

While inspecting the shelves the night before, I had spotted some cereal and decided this would do. I grabbed the milk and the cereal box, putting both of them on the table before searching for a bowl. This all seemed too normal, too familiar, too common for it to be happening now. It almost felt like I was getting some breakfast before my classes.

 

“So are you going to continue sulking for the whole trip? Because you’re clearly ignoring my presence.”

 

Baekhyun’s voice filled the room and I frowned at his words, putting my dishes on the table to start preparing my cereals. I took my time putting everything in the bowl, wondering if I should add some sugar but soon giving up on it. I finally sat down and lifted my head up to look at the man still half laying on the couch with his book in his hand.

 

“I thought that’s what would have made you happy. Am I not an annoying burden to you? I thought my voice would remind you of my pitiful existence to the point it would become a real disturbance.” I spoke and took a spoonful of cereal as I watched him, raising a challenging eyebrow at him.

 

“Well it is, bu-”

 

I scoffed loudly, leaning back on my chair, and crossing my arms over my chest. I parted my lips to speak but he was quicker than me, letting out a dry chuckle.

 

“You’re the one who said it, not me.” He defended himself, raising one hand as to protect himself. “But seriously, this is childish.”

 

I shrugged and continued eating my cereal, not thinking it would have been necessary to speak up again. I felt Baekhyun’s eyes on me but I kept my own on my breakfast. I heard the other sigh and stand, steps moving closer and closer to the table until he pushed a chair and sat in front of me, still staring. Being very busy with my food, I decided to keep my eyes down. A staring contest didn’t seem appealing at all for now.

 

“I’m sorry for uh… yesterday.”

 

His words were so quiet I could barely hear them at all. When I did, though, my eyes widened in surprise and I looked up, actually utterly shocked that he had spoken those words.

 

“You… What did you say?” I asked, a bit confused because he actually really looked sorry and it made it all even more disturbing. Baekhyun looked up, a flash of annoyance passing through his eyes.

 

“I said that I’m sorry for what I said yesterday.” He repeated himself, this time a bit louder, but not enough to my liking. I tried not to smile at all and leaned a bit closer.

 

“Please speak louder, I can’t hear you.”

 

I couldn’t hide the small smirk of victory when he made a face and groaned. He noticed it and frowned, letting out a dry chuckle before looking away.

 

“Seriously? I’m putting a lot of effort into trying to apologize correctly and you can’t even act decently about it?” Again, I shrugged before concentrating on my cereals. They were starting to absorb the milk too much and weren’t as crunchy as before.

 

It was true that Baekhyun was rarely -if not never- sincerely apologizing and, now that he was trying to do it, or that’s what it seemed like, I picked on him about it, which would probably make him less willing to do it again in the future. Maybe I was going a _tiny bit_ too hard on him this time.

 

“Look, I-”

 

We both looked up at each other, frowning because of how we spoke the exact same words at the exact same time. “You can go first.” I was quick to say, preferring to hear whatever he had to say before speaking.

 

I looked back down at my breakfast and heard him sigh. There was a short silence before he spoke. “Well I just… You know it’s-”

 

“I heard you watching a streaming of the concert last night.”

 

I couldn’t help but stop him in his track. After a mere second of thinking, I wasn’t completely sure I wanted any more apologies from him. Maybe it wasn’t what he was going to say, but it was stronger than me. Baekhyun’s eyes widened when I cut him short and he frowned.

 

“You did what?”

 

“I mean… I’m sorry for eavesdropping and everything, probably isn’t very polite of me, but the fact that you weren’t wearing earphones didn’t help either, everyone co-”

 

“I was wearing earphones.”

 

It was my turn to frown at his words and I tilted my head on the side, confused. “Then why could I hear everyone so well? Maybe they weren’t working?” I asked before raising an eyebrow. “I don’t think I would have been able to hear it if you did wear those earphones…” I answered, shrugging and bringing the cereal bowl to my lips to finish the milk.

 

“Or maybe you did…” Baekhyun thought out loud, resting his chin on his palm, eyes lost somewhere behind me. It was like every ounce of frustration from both parties was gone suddenly. “Do you remember anything uncommon related to your senses back in your childhood? As if you could hear way better than any other people around you? Or anything that they couldn’t?” He asked me and I paused my drinking, trying to think about something.

 

I couldn’t really pinpoint any event in particular. Sure, I always had a perfect eye sight and never needed any glasses, nor did I have difficulties with my ears at all, but nothing really screamed ‘out of the ordinary’. I shook my head and finished my bowl before standing to clean everything. I reached the sink and put everything inside before filling it with water.

 

“Why did you tell me that you heard me watching it? Was there anything else you wanted to say?”

 

I stopped in my movements, swallowing thickly and looking down at my dishes. “Oh, nothing much, I was just saying you could have put your earphones, but since you were already using them…” I mumbled, putting soap in the sink and searching for a sponge.

 

I heard Baekhyun hum and the sound of flipping pages indicated me he was back in his book. I found a sponge to use and started washing everything. Even though my first plan was to make Baekhyun tell me about the reason why he was truly mean with me, I backed off and didn’t exactly know why. I hoped the reason was simply behind the mission he was given and the fact that he couldn’t attend the concerts. I hoped he wasn’t being nice on purpose because he was too stubborn, but there was still a fear that I was wrong and that he truly meant every insult or retort he threw at me.

 

I was still, deep inside, a fan of the guy, after all, and knowing I had failed at making him at least appreciate a tiny bit my presence affected me more than I thought it would.

 

***

 

Considering Baekhyun wasn’t being the most talkative and so wasn’t I, I decided to go have a little walk outside, needing some fresh air to clear my mind. I went to fetch a jacket from my room, knowing there might be a cool wind outside and went through the main room again. Baekhyun was back on his couch, book hiding his face. I walked the small set of stairs before heading outside.

 

I immediately put my hand on my forehead to cover my eyes from the sun. Its rays were warm but the wind from the ocean was still present. I congratulated myself for the vest and looked around.

 

It was unfamiliar to see only blue. I didn’t remember going on a trip further than another state with my adoptive parents and moving on water wasn’t exactly the same as being in a car. I thought it would make me uneasy to have the deepness of the ocean under us and choosing for us the specific path we would take to reach our direction, but it wasn’t. On the contrary, I found it calming and recomforting, the wave motions under my feet.

 

I leaned on the metal fence that gave on the back of the boat, under me the motor making a low growling sound. I scrutinized the horizon, finding absolutely nothing but the two familiar shades of blue in the distance. I tried to let my thoughts drifting just like the boat did but Baekhyun’s words came back to my mind again, making me frown.

 

If he really was wearing functional earphones the night before, then something out of the ordinary must have happened in order for me to hear the voices very clearly. Though I also remembered him saying only the most skilled could hear things from afar without needing to see the source of the noise. I had only done it once, so I wasn’t sure how I would be able to do what the experts did. _Or could I?_

 

Curious, I took a few steps toward the door to the inside of the boat, tiptoeing to the round window and making sure there wasn’t anyone nearby before resting my ear on the door and closing my eyes. I didn’t exactly know what to concentrate on. Unlike yesterday, nothing really lured me to the door to listen except the curiosity to test whatever power I had.

 

I tried to think about something I could have been hearing from the living room, quickly remembering the sound of folding paper Baekhyun’s book made whenever he flipped the pages. Taking a few deep breathes, trying to be as quiet as possible, concentrating on the possibility of hearing that sound, and hoping Baekhyun hadn’t just changed page so I wouldn’t need to wait too long in that position.

 

I didn’t have to wait for too long, a low sound soon coming to my ear. It didn’t sound like turning pages, though. It was constant, like a groan. I frowned, switching my attention to that sound instead. The more I did, the more it became clear to my ears. I knew it came from rather far since I couldn’t hear it at all before, not even when I was in the center room of the boat. It was rather unbelievable and I smiled to myself in victory, until…

 

The door suddenly opened right in my face and, shocked, I yelped and fell on my side, watching as Baekhyun’s head peeked from the doorframe, immediately frowning at the sight. I was so concentrated on hearing from afar that even the closest sound of him climbing up the stairs to the outside door was completely out of my reach.

 

“May I know what you were doing, resting against that door?”

 

I gulped, quickly going back to my feet, and wiping my bottom from the dust of the dirty floor. I looked up at him before closing my eyes, still perceiving the faint idea of the low groan in the distance. “Do you hear it?” I asked Baekhyun, opening my eyes again to find him with a confused expression.

 

“Hear what? Will you tell me what in the world you were going?”

 

I chuckled to myself, excited about what I had just discovered. Again, I was able to hear sounds I wasn’t supposed to. I was pretty sure I wasn’t imagining, or at least I hoped so. I would have to confirm the nature of the growl as soon as possible. I made my way back to the door and glanced over at Baekhyun with a smile before walking passed him and heading inside to the living room.

 

“Billy is snoring in his room.”


End file.
